Children Grown
by Vaneria Potter
Summary: Sequel to 'A New Problem'. What happens when the children of the fellowship get thrown into our world? New and Old enemies, Old aquaintences and a New REDONE
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings.

Summary: Sequel to 'Children and Fellowships'. This story is based on the next generation, and a new problem.

**

* * *

Chapter One**

Elfwine's Point Of View

The first thing I realized as I woke up was the sound of people swearing in a very explicit manner. It sounded like my older sister, my best friend and someone else who I couldn't place. My slow return to consciousness accelerated faster than Shadowfax can run when I heard a sharp intake of breath from nearby, followed by a female voice screaming in horror.

I blinked my eyes open and looked around.

I am actually not certain what scared me more: our unfamiliar surroundings, or who was doing the screaming.

Perhaps I should start at the beginning. My name is Elfwine, Crown Prince of Rohan and eldest son of King Eomer and Queen Natasha of Rohan.

I am ten years of age and have four brothers and sisters, one of them my twin. My siblings are Bella – who is really mother's much younger cousin, but we all think of her as a sister – my twin, Theodred, and our younger sisters, Saranna and Alyssia. My father is the nephew of the old king, Theoden. He was born and raised in Rohan, and became a marshal of the Riddermark when he was young, a few years before Theoden died and Father became king. He and my mother met during the War of the Ring. Father was twenty-seven at the time. Mother was almost a decade younger than him, but that didn't stop them from becoming friends and falling in love. They married not long after the War, shortly after Mother turned Nineteen, ignoring the few protests about Mother being from a foreign land with strange customs.

Now, one thing you should understand about my mother: She _never_ loses control.

Not in public anyway; what goes on between my parents at night is the chambermaids' favourite gossip topic, but that's not the point.

The point is, Mother never allows people to see her as anything less than calm and in control. In fact, if someone was to come running up, screaming about an orc attack, she is more likely to tell them to calm down and stop babbling, listen to what they are yelling about, and then order someone to guide them to wherever Father is to warn him.

Either way, she does not start screaming hysterically.

Which is why I was so shocked to see her sitting up, eyes wide, and screaming like a banshee.

I try to block her out long enough to see where we are. We are in a room filled with strange objects. Also here are all four of my siblings: Seventeen-year-old Bella, Theodred – my twin – Eight-year-old Saranna and Six-year-old Alyssia.

Looking further, I see my cousins: Eleven-year-old, Theodwyn and Eight-year-old Isinil, children of my Aunt Eowyn and Uncle Faramir.

Also present is my best friend, Eldarion, Crown Prince of Gondor, who is my age and his two sisters; Princess Celebrian and Princess Gilraen who are the same age as my younger sisters, respectively.

Bella finally stops swearing long enough to go over to where Mother is still in hysterics and try to calm her down, just as a man in very strange clothing rushes in, takes one look and rushes back out.

Whatever Bella did, it worked, as Mother has stopped screaming, although her face is still pale. Alyssia climbs onto her lap, looking worried. Theodwyn finally speaks up, "Aunt Natasha? Where are we? Why are you so upset?"

Mother closes her eyes for a moment. "We are in the land of my birth. I have no idea how this came to be, but I think that someone powerful had a hand in it." Eldarion opens his mouth. Mother cuts him off. "And before you ask why I think that, Eldarion, I was forbidden from ever returning here, a fate that I accepted willingly."

We all fell silent for a few minutes before the door crashed open again and a group of people entered, six going to Mother's bed, four to Bella.

The rest of us moved away to avoid being trampled. Bella's group consisted of a tall woman with dark red hair streaked with grey, a man whose hair was almost white, a little girl and a second man who looked only a few years younger than Mother was.

The ones clustered around Mother were a man with hair that was once dark, but now held a great deal of white, a young boy and four women, one who looked to be my mother's mother, one who could only be my mother's twin, one with blonde hair who resembled neither and one with greying hair who looked nothing like any of the others.

This was evidently going to be a day of surprises for us, as Mother took one look at them and did something completely unprecedented: she fell back in a dead faint.

_

* * *

In the Throne Room of Meusled, Back in Middle Earth…_

Eomer of Rohan paced in front of his throne, ignoring all attempts to make him sit down.

The court had been cleared for the day after a hooded stranger had somehow gotten past the guards and into the Throne Room, unleashed a thunderclap and a blinding flash of light.

When everyone could see again, the stranger had vanished, along with Queen Natasha and the royal children of both Rohan, Gondor – who had been on a state visit – and Ithilien.

Now the Room was empty except for the King and Queen of Gondor; Lord Boromir, captain of Gondor; Lord Faramir and Lady Eowyn of Ithilien; Gandalf the White, head of the Istari and Eomer, King of Rohan.

Gandalf shook his head. "They have passed beyond my sight. The only way that could happen is if they were drawn away from this world."

Eomer stopped dead, slowly turning to face the wizard. "Forgive me, Mithrandir, I do not think I heard you correctly. Did you say that they were drawn out of this world?"

There was a collective wince at the King of Rohan's tone. It generally suggested that someone was going to be in a large amount of trouble. Eowyn sighed, looking at her brother. "No, you heard correctly." She turned to Gandalf, "But how did it happen? It was supposed to be impossible for Natasha to return!"

This earned her a questioning look from everyone except Eomer and the wizard. Eowyn's husband, Faramir, finally spoke. "What do you mean, 'it was supposed to be impossible for Natasha to return'? Why would it be impossible?"

Eowyn let out an explosive breath, turning to face the room. "Because Natasha made a conscious choice to stay here, rather than return to her own world. That choice was made irreversible when the twins were born, binding Natasha here by both Blood and Choice. She told me that she never regretted her choice, and if she had to choose again, her decision would be the same. That should have made it impossible for her to leave."

Queen Arwen chose this time to speak up. "What I want to know is what the children have to do with all this. Why would anyone take them?"

Boromir decided to join the conversation. "Another question is how do we get all of them back? I'd like to point out that even if we were able to follow, none of us has the faintest idea of where to go or how that world operated."

Eomer finally burst out. "And they do? Bella was _four_ when she and Natasha arrived here! The other children know nothing of it outside bedtime stories that they dismissed as fantasy! Natasha may have known about that world but it has been almost fourteen years since she left! Who knows what will have changed!"

The Throne Room was plunged into silence as they all tried to think of a way to resolve the problem.

* * *

Hidden in a corner, a lone figure, hooded and cloaked, let a malicious smile slip past their lips. Soon things would become as the figure had always planned. This time there would be no obstacles to get in their way.

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_A/N – First chapter up! Tell me what you think. Should I continue or should I scrap it? Don't forget to review!_

Thank you all,

Nathalia.


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings. Consider it disclaimed.

Summary: See previous chapters.

**

* * *

Chapter Two**

Theodwyn's Point of View

You may say as you like about Queen Natasha (Out of hearing range of the king and just about everyone else if what you say is negative) but she is very good at thinking on her feet.

As she appeared to be returning to consciousness, she quickly spoke to us in Rohirric, deliberately slurring the words to make it sound as the unintelligible muttering when one has just awoken. "I am going to feign amnesia to avoid any difficult questions. Speak only in Gondorian or Rohirric. They will not question if they think you will not understand their words.

We obeyed. The Queen of Rohan may be far more subtle than her husband, but that does not make her any less of a leader than King Eomer when he is not available.

Sure enough, the questions started as soon as everyone noticed that Aunt Natasha was awake. "What do you remember?" "Do you know where you are?" and so on. She neatly stemmed the flow with a questioning, "Who are all of you?"

They all seemed quite distressed at that and turned their attention to Bella, who followed Natasha's example. Then it was our turn as they asked our identities, our origins and our reasons for being here.

It was not hard to tell that everyone was confused at what was happening, but we followed Natasha's instructions to speak in our native tongues.

A man who I guessed was the healer beckoned the families away and spoke to them quietly, then turned back to Aunt Natasha. "You say that you do not recognize us, but what do you remember?"

My Aunt adopted a puzzled look, as though searching through her memory. "Nothing. Everything is just a blur."

The doctor sighed. "Very well. Rest now and we will visit again in the morning. Do you have any suggestions on what should happen to these children?"

Aunt Natasha's eyes widened. Apparently she had not thought that far ahead. "Can they stay here? Please? They don't seem to have anywhere else to go."

The doctor agreed and they all left the room.

* * *

About a minute later, another man entered the room. He had tanned skin, brown eyes and blonde curly hair. Aunt Natasha hid it well, but she was distressed at the man's appearance. She managed to get rid of him with the same excuse of earlier: Pretending not to know him. He looked sad as he left and shut the door.

Alyssia looked up at her mother. "Mama, who was that? You looked like you knew him."

My Aunt sighed, looking torn at something. "I did know him. That was Ryan, a boy I was courting with before I met your father. I had been planning to end the courtship because we were going nowhere. Then I came to Middle Earth and met Eomer, and I knew that there would never be anyone else for me." She buried her face in her hands. "I wish I was back in Edoras."

Now I was really getting scared. Aunt Natasha was a pillar in all of our lives, whether it was exerting a calming influence on Mother or the subtle implant and guidance of an idea or the execution of an outrageous comment with a completely straight face to brighten any situation.

Even on the rare occasion that she will admit weakness, I have never seen her so vulnerable.

Also, the idea that someone else had courted Aunt Natasha was just wrong, somehow. She and Uncle Eomer are so obviously meant for each other. Like two halves of a whole.

Oh gods, I don't even want to think about what everyone at home is going through.

_

* * *

Theodred's Point of View_

The healers had returned and given Mother and Bella something to make them sleep. The rest of us were trying to figure out what to do next.

Everyone at home must be going frantic and I didn't even want to try to imagine Father's reaction to all of this. If there is one thing my father cannot stand, it is being helpless. On the rare occasion that circumstances render him so, Mother can usually figure out a way to distract him into doing something else. This time, however, Mother was here with us and Father was worlds away.

Suddenly, one of my deepest fears re-surfaced.

There were times when Mother would stare off into the distance when she thought no one was watching, her eyes worlds away, and I knew that she was thinking of the land she came from. My siblings had dismissed her stories as fantasy, but I knew that they were too detailed to be pure fiction. It was foolish, but one of my greatest fears was that Mother would find a way back to her old home and leave us. Now that we were here, would she wish to stay with the family that I know she has missed?

This was all too confusing. None of us knew anything about this world outside of the stories Mother had told us. Bella had been four when she and Mother had entered our world. Mother, the only one of us who really had any idea what the hell was going on around us, was a nervous wreck and still in a state of shock. That left it up to us, a group of children all under fourteen and most not even past their first decade of life! That scared the hell out of me.

_

* * *

_

3rd person Point of View.

In a ruined tower in the middle of a forest, Back in Middle-Earth...

A hooded and cloaked figure turned to its companion. "You are sure that it worked? They are gone?"

The second figure nodded. "Yes. Even better, the mortal rulers of Middle Earth are grouped together, trying to figure out what to do. If we were to strike now…"

The first cut the second off. "No. Overconfidence and moving too fast was the cause of our failure last time. This time there will be no slip ups."

_

* * *

In the Golden Hall of Meusled, Edoras…_

The rulers of Gondor, Rohan and Ithilien had been joined by what remained of the fellowship of the Ring, and were discussing what to do about the current situation. They were getting nowhere quickly. Suddenly, Gandalf the White came into the room.

Everyone else looked up. Samwise Gamgee broke the silence. "Have you found something, Mister Gandalf? What is it?"

The Wizard looked at the young hobbit, as earnest as he had always been, and inwardly sighed. He hated to disappoint them. "I have not found anything that could yet help us directly, but I have found who brought Natasha and Bella into this world in the first place, and a few hints on how they accomplished it."

As slight as this news was, it still managed to brighten the atmosphere. This time Gimli was the one who spoke. "Well? Tell us, Gandalf."

Gandalf gave the dwarf a quelling look, then turned to face all of them. "Sauron and Saruman wanted the Fellowship of the Ring to fail, for obvious reasons. It appears that one of them heard legends of a nation with terrible powers. They could take on the form of any race and usually had the physical appearance of females in the late stages of adolescence. They were perfect beings, which held the power of being able to make people fall madly in love with them. Their main targets are elves, though they also attacked Hobbits and Men, more specifically great heroes or people in positions of high power, like kings, princes and stewards. The legends are hard to read, for many who do must recover from mental and emotional trauma afterwards, and have no wish to remember."

By now, most of the room had gone pale. Rose Gamgee took the plunge. "What were these creatures called, Gandalf? And what do they have to do with Natasha and Bella and people jumping from world to world."

The White Wizard frowned. "They are known as Mary-Sue. Saruman had thought to bring several of them here in the hopes of distracting the fellowship and other key figures in the War of the Ring. Luckily for all of us, they miscalculated, and summoned Natasha and the three children she had with her instead."

He looked at the other people in the room, lingering on Eomer, who did not look well. "As I said, it does not help us directly, but we at least have a starting point and can now focus on a specific thing, rather than rushing off in all directions."

The small gathering set to work again, a spark of hope lighting their hearts.

_To Be Continued._

* * *

A/N – Chapter Two finished! I am working on the next chapter but I am not sure when it will be up. I have also fixed some mistakes in chapter one. Also, I am one vote short of the hoped-for hundred reviews for Children and Fellowships! That is more that I have ever gotten on any of my other fics. I am floating in shocked bliss!

Reviews make me post faster.

Nathalia Potter.


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings. Do we really have to go through this every single time?

Summary: See previous chapters.

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* * *

Chapter Three **

Eldarion's Point of View

I am the eldest child of King Elessar and Queen Arwen. I am the Crown Prince of the re-unified kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor. I do not panic.

My mantra is also failing spectacularly to make me feel any better or any less confused about the situation.

Well, the good thing about what is happening at present is that Queen Natasha is no longer in shock and is doing a good job at keeping up appearances. That is to say: no one has figured out that she is perfectly aware of whom everyone is and has a general idea of what is going on.

The bad thing is that none of the rest of us knows much of what all the strange things in this world are. The healers have apparently decided that the time Queen Natasha spent in her 'coma' resulted in minor brain damage. She has been using that to get people to explain what things are and how they work so we have a better idea of what is going on.

Current events are taking their toll on everyone, however.

It is obvious that the Queen of Rohan feels the presence of her family quite keenly. She had thought never to see them again, and to have them back in her life so suddenly… well, never mind. We are still having trouble communicating with Natasha directly without giving something away, Bella is handling her family's reappearance even worse than her mother/cousin is, the rest of our group is just plain confused, and to make things even more interesting, the Queen's ex-suitor is very persistent and we are running out of ideas to get rid of him.

* * *

I wonder what is happening back in our world. I have not yet told the other children, especially my siblings, but I had a dream of back home. I suppose I could have passed it off as homesickness if the dream had been a pleasant one, but it was not. I saw all of Middle Earth in chaos and turmoil, even the Shire, which has always remained largely undisturbed, if you do not count Saruman's trickery. I saw my mother, Queen Arwen, weeping, or with fear in her eyes. I saw my father, struggling against an unseen opponent. I saw the races of Middle Earth trying to fight a terrible fate that I could not see, could not name, and attempting to flee as, one by one, they failed to do so. 

Queen Natasha held me when I woke screaming, rocking me as she would one of her own. Her gentle voice prompted me to tell her of my dream. I hoped that she would say that it was only a dream, but I knew that it was probably more and I knew that she would not lie to me about what she thought if I asked her opinion.

I asked, and she told me that she thought it could be one of two things. Either it was just a vivid dream; or I had inherited the gift/curse of foresight, which seems to run in the family.

Personally, I was hoping for the former.

* * *

We were released from the House of Healing ('Hospital', Queen Natasha called it) the next day. It had taken a certain amount of persuasion on the Lady of Rohan's part, but she had convinced her family to let us stay together. 

It appeared that the house her family usually lived in did not have enough beds for all of us, so we were put in something called a 'van' – sort of a horseless carriage – and set off for a 'holiday house', which I assumed was something like the summer palace back home. Queen Natasha's family also said that being around familiar objects might help to refresh her memory.

Since the Queen seems to remember every detail, even if she doesn't show it, it is sort of a moot point, but whatever makes them happy.

Meanwhile, I am wondering how long she is going to be able to maintain the façade of everything being fine.

It seems that waking from a fourteen-year coma is big news amongst the population, so Princess Bella and Queen Natasha are being hounded by the 'media', a group of people who seem to think they have the right to intrude on other peoples private business, stick their noses where they don't belong, then literally tell their findings, true or made up, to the world. The good thing about all of it was watching the Queen of Rohan intimidate them and subtly threaten dire consequences if any of them added their own spin to lie about any of the things she said. While she usually prefers more gentle means to convince people to do what she wants, that does not mean that Queen Natasha will not resort to more 'forceful persuasion' if she has to. It can be quite entertaining to watch.

Even so, it is obvious that current events are beginning to wear her down. She is having to maintain the image of memory loss, put up with this 'media', fend off her ex-suitor, hide what she is feeling from her family _and_ try to figure out a way to get back home.

We all want to help with getting back home, but the fact is: Bella was four when she arrived in Middle Earth, and barely remembers anything from that time. Natasha was eighteen, and remembers part of it, but is having trouble communicating with us without blowing our cover.

Over all impression: things do not look good.

**_

* * *

3rd person Point of View _**

A ruined tower in a forest, back in Middle Earth…

Two hooded figures stood on opposite sides of a pedestal, upon which rested a round black orb slightly smaller than a rock melon. Both were chanting in a harsh, almost evil, language.

Slowly, the air around them began to shimmer. One by one, others began to appear out of the shimmer. Though they varied in size and species, all seemed exceptionally beautiful and skilled, the epitome of perfection.

The taller of the two hooded ones spoke. "The hour of our victory is at hand. Middle Earth is defenceless against your power! Serve me well, for if you succeed, you will have any that your heart may desire!"

The room resounded with cheers and roars of assent as the hundreds of newcomers began to plot a battle that no man, elf, dwarf or hobbit could combat.

In a corner, a dark-haired figure remained silent. She had the feeling that she was not supposed to be here. Was this how the other had once felt? She could only hope that the love borne for Rohan's Queen would hold against this power. How had the other survived? What would she have done?

_

* * *

The Study of the Lord of the Riddermark, Edoras, several days later… _

There was a hurried knock on the door of King Eomer's study. Seconds later, a very traumatized-looking elf stumbled in, eyes wide. He rushed over to where Legolas sat and handed him a piece of parchment.

The Prince of Mirkwood scanned the letter, then passed it to Gandalf, letting out a descriptive curse in Sindarin as he did so. Those who understood the language appeared shocked at the elf's choice of words, but then gave serious thought to expanding on them as they, too, saw the message.

The elf messenger finally managed to speak. "The result has been devastating, my Lords. The warriors of Middle Earth are powerless to stop them. They have found a way to have all those warriors who have managed to oppose them branded as traitors and such."

Eowyn, the White Lady of Rohan and Princess of Ithilien, narrowed her eyes, copied by Queen Arwen of Gondor. "Then we will have to find some other way to defeat them. Nothing is invulnerable."

Boromir, son of the Steward Denethor, gave his sister-in-law a look. "Easy for you to say! Where is Natasha when we need her? She was always good at coming up with sneaky ideas." He flinched at the glare sent in his direction by the Lord of Rohan.

Arwen of Gondor rolled her eyes. "What do you expect? Boys rely on brute strength to solve problems. Girls are usually more subtle, and Natasha is the eldest of three!"

Eomer shot all of them a 'shut-up-now-or-else' look. "If we could get back to the topic. Lothlorien and Imladris are being over-run, long-lost family members and unknown childhood companions of the Mirkwood royal family are appearing right, left and centre in Eryn Lasgalan, these horrific creatures are moving in swarms to Gondor, Rohan and the Shire and the males are helpless against them! Could we start trying to find a solution instead of bickering?"

The messenger looked pensive. "It was foretold that the Lord of the Nazgul could not be killed by any man living. It was Lady Eowyn who brought him down. Could we not employ the same tactic now?"

Eowyn looked thoughtful. "I know that most of the female population would ride through fire if she asked them, so it might just work."

They set to work again, this time with a sense of urgency.

And all the while, a peril greater than Sauron and Morgorth together, marched against the Kingdoms of the West.

_To Be Continued_

* * *

A/N – Chapter Three done, sorry for the wait. 

Anyone feel like a guess as to what is happening now? (Evil Grin)

Anyway, review and tell me what you think.

Thanks to everyone,

Nathalia.


	4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings. Consider it Disclaimed

Summary: See previous Chapters

A/N – This chapter is dedicated to Laer4572 for her review on chapter three.

OH oh I think I know! The evil sues are there! Wack with something heavy Eowyn!

Maybe, maybe not. You'll have to keep reading. Eowyn does seem likely to whack them with some large heavy object, doesn't she?

OK on another note I can no longer look at Eomer without seeing my idea of what Natasha looks like by his side. That is how much I love this idea. Heck I watched 'Ghost Ship' the other night and I thought 'Natasha is SO going to hurt that ghost…'

Really? Wow, I am feeling very flattered. I've never seen 'Ghost Ship' but I think that Karl Urban acts in it.

Thanks Laer4572.

_A/N#2 – to Elros Tar-Minyatur: Actually there are two books that were nominated for an award where the author switched between the characters point of view about once every chapter. They are both part of the same series. One is called 'Song in the Silence'; the other is 'The lesser kindred'._

_

* * *

_

**Chapter Four**

_Bella's Point of View_

This is starting to feel stifling.

I know that my blood family is glad to have me back, but now they will not let me do anything by myself. It is almost as if they are afraid that I will lapse back into a coma if I even stub my toe, the way they are acting!

Sometimes I wonder if Natasha knew that this would happen. Looking back on distant memories like I do when I want to remember some of the things here, I suddenly recall one from not long before Natasha and Eomer were married.

**_

* * *

Flashback  _**

Gandalf gave Natasha a grave look. "Now is your moment of Choice, Natasha. Bella's will be given when she is older. Will you return to your own world, or will you stay here?"

Natasha looked between the gathered riding party and the image in the shimmering portal, anguish clearly written on her face.

Gandalf spoke. "It requires a formal answer, Natasha. The conditions are met and the moment of choice is come."

Natasha gave a last, lingering look at what I could only guess was her family. Then she turned back to the rest of us, walking steadily towards the King of Rohan. How she kept her voice steady was beyond me. "I choose thee, Eomer! For good or ill, I choose thee!"

Then she collapsed in his arms, weeping.

****

End Flashback

* * *

Was that why we were here now? But then why would Eldarion, Celebrian, Gilraen, Theodwyn and Isinil be here? Was there some other purpose that we did not know of? This was all too confusing. I wanted Natasha here, even in the times before we came to Middle Earth, she had always been a calm, reassuring presence in the childcare centre. As strange as it would seem to others, considering my age, I felt like I wanted to be that age again, so I could have her hold me and say that everything would be fine soon. She would probably do the same now if I let her, but it is socially unacceptable for people of my age to show such affection to adult figures. 

I also found out who the young boy in Natasha's family is. It turns out that Natasha's dad and his girlfriend had gotten married and had the kid, Ben.

I wonder how Natasha is coping without Eomer. If he wasn't out getting rid of the remaining evil in Middle Earth, I do not recall a time when the two of them were anywhere near this far away from each other since they were married.

We met up with Natasha and her family a few days ago. The Healers said something about how they had exercised our bodies while we were in a comabut we should try to move more on our own, stage by stage,and suggested that our families take us to places where we could do so.

Now we have a lot of explaining to do.

We went to a horse ranch (Apparently Ben likes to ride and Natasha's step-mother owns a horse) and someone suggested that we all go for a trail ride. We did, and that is where the trouble started.

Theodwyn, the twins, Isinil, Saranna and Alyssia were insulted when someone suggested that they should be on a lead reign. You didn't have to speak Rohirric to see that. Eventually it was decided that we were all good enough riders that none of us needed a lead. Then Gilraen and Alyssia were told that since they were so young they would have to ride double.

In Gondor, children do not learn to ride until they are at least eight, but in the Riddermark children are often taken on their first ride as soon as they learn to walk. Alyssia looked like she was about to throw a tantrum when Natasha gave her youngest her 'I-carried-you-for-nine-months-so-you-damn-well-better-do-as-I-say' look.

Unfortunately, both Natasha's mother and mine caught that look and got suspicious. She managed to pass it off as a look she had seen mothers in the centre use, but just barely.

Then Celebrian's horse got spooked by something and bolted. Natasha reacted instinctively and called out in Rohirric, then employed a tactic that the riders use when a horse has been startled and broken loose and is about to trample someone. It worked, but it also seems that not even the people who work here could have pulled it off.

The 'amnesia' ploy was not going to work this time.

* * *

We finally managed to pass the stunt off as something she had seen before and the yell in Rohirric as picking up a few words by listening to the others. 

It was actually Natasha's Ex-suitor who pulled our chestnuts out of the fire by saying that if the coma had damaged her brain then she was bound to act oddly from time to time.

Thankfully, it worked.

However, it is starting to become vital that we get back to Middle Earth as soon as we possibly can.

We need a miracle. Fast.

_

* * *

A ruined tower in a forest, back in Middle Earth - 3rd Person Point of View. _

One of the hooded figures was throwing a tantrum.

"You said that Eomer would be MINE! That was to be my reward for helping you! Now every time I try, I run into five others attempting the same thing! Furthermore, he is somehow managing to resist all of out efforts! Eomer will be mine, and no others! Make it so!"

The other figure narrowed his burning eyes. "Do not try to tell me what to do, child! You will get the king, even as I will gain the land. It will just take time."

This set the younger one off again. "Time? I have waited almost fourteen years for this and you council patience? 'It will take time'? How much time do you think we have!"

The older figure ignored her dramatics. "With each day she is gone, it becomes harder for her to return. When it becomes impossible, King Eomer will know this and it will be your opportunity to strike and claim him for your own."

The first nodded their acceptance, for the moment. They had lost the chance once, it would not happen again!

_

* * *

The royal quarters, Edoras. _

Eomer of the Riddermark felt ready to kill someone. Even if that someone was female. Especially if the someone was one of the females that had recently invaded the Riddermark.

He sighed in exasperation as he removed his crown. It seemed that every time he turned a corner, he was accosted by one of those… Creatures that had been showing up lately, and found himself desperately fighting the urge to fall madly in love with them.

So far, he had managed by focusing entirely on his beloved queen. Even at Thirty-Two, she held his heart far more that these much younger women ever could. Her wisdom and quiet strength, her expressive eyes and gentle touch, the way she seemed to understand him best, ever since they had first met, despite the near decade age difference between them. Her sense of humour, often said with a straight face, betrayed by the sparkle in her green eyes. Her gentleness around children, able to turn into an unstoppable force if circumstances dictated she defend others. The amused roll of her eyes when someone brought up how she had fought when Gondor had been under siege. How she accepted that he could not spend every moment with her, that there were times that duty could, and often did, come first.

Most of these beings appeared in the guise of females in the late stages of adolescence, up until their mid-twenties. Many of them appeared to be nothing less – and often more - than perfect, but few could understand that it was a person's flaws that made them human, and that forced love was worse than hatred.

Most of these things that had invaded Middle-Earth showed eagerness in their ability to fight anything, or insisted that they were too well-bred to even lift a sword. Natasha had convinced Eowyn to teach her how to fight, but was more than willing to let those more experienced fight on the battlefield, while she preferred to stay home and care for children and manage the Hall.

The invaders balked at such things, insisting that they were strong enough to fight or claiming that they did not know how.

But even with this knowledge, Eomer found it harder and harder to resist temptation. He was giving serious thought to following the path that the elves had taken, and going into hiding.

The Riddermark needed its Queen, and soon.

The king decided that he would not even mind if his wife's infuriating sisters showed up again, as long as Natasha was with them.

If Gandalf were here, perhaps there would be a chance to get rid of this pestilence and have Natasha back, but the White Wizard had made himself scarce.

If there was not a horde of females camped outside his door, he would have made for the healers. His head was hurting worse that the morning after his friends had thrown him a party three days before his wedding. He smiled slightly as he remembered Natasha's singularly unsympathetic manner as he tried to get the dancing Oliphants out of his head.

He would welcome her heartless remarks right now, even more if they were directed at the creatures that were trying to take over the world.

Eomer barricaded the door and windows, then tried to find rest.

_To Be Continued_

* * *

A/N#3 – Chapter Four is up! This was accidentally uploaded on Tale of Two Worlds so I apologize for the mix-up. Please Review and tell me what you think!

Thank you everyone.

Nathalia.


	5. Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings. Consider it Disclaimed.

Summary: See previous chapters.

A/N – **Laer4572: **You are quite welcome, thanks for being one of my most constant reviewers.

**Aranna Undomiel: **You're half right, but I'm not going to say which half.

A/N#2 – **_Warning: _**This chapter is rated PG-15 to R for implied naughtiness at the end.

**

* * *

Chapter Five **

Saranna's Point of View

If I didn't know that it would gain me several strange looks, I would not be adverse to dancing around the room and singing at the top of my lungs.

After the minor catastrophe of last week at the ranch Mother's family took us to, we finally have some good news to think about.

Gandalf has found a way to get through to us in this world and it should only be a few more days, maybe even less, before he manages to come into this world himself. I hope that he does not take too long, because Mother is starting to slip into her 'Queen of the Riddermark' mood after she heard about the 'Mary-Sue' creatures that have been attacking Middle Earth.

I really would not like to be in their position when she gets hold of them.

We, meaning Bella's family and Mother's, are now at a 'national park', or a fairly large space of actual country rather than the bustling city or sub-urban area that takes up most of this land. It is actually quite nice, and faintly reminiscent of the rolling hills and grasslands of our home.

My half-uncle and several of the others suddenly let out yells of surprise. Most of the older adults choke on their wine. Mother calmly sets down her glass, muttering about Cryptic wizards and being over-dramatic.

I'm not sure whom to agree with. The air starting to shimmer and having Gandalf the White step out of nowhere is probably enough to startle someone who is not used to the Istar doing such things.

Mother stands up and raises an eyebrow. I am strongly reminded of when Gandalf showed us an image of my parent's wedding. The eyebrow and the exasperated/amused look are almost identical to the one she wore when Bella interrupted them to ask how to set up my Uncles' wedding prank. Father was not so amused, and apparently had some very strong words for them the next day.

The rest of the families from this world are frozen in place as Gandalf comes forward. I suppose to them he might look like one of the homeless people your parents have always warned you away from, but Mother only smiles and steps forward.

Her words are to the point, and obviously make no sense to anyone else. "Is it time to return?" She looks closely at his face, and sorrow enters her face. "It is Bella's turn, is it not." The last is a statement more than a question, as if she has known this for a long time.

Gandalf says nothing, only nods his head. Mother gives him a sarcastic look, muttering, "You're _so_ helpful. Keep the portal open."

She turns to the rest of us. "Bella, come here. The rest of you, make ready." Celebrian opens her mouth. Mother cuts her off. "I don't care what you are wearing, Princess. We have more immediate problems to deal with."

Bella stands and walks over to Mother. "What do you mean, it is my turn? My turn for what?"

Mother's eyes are sad. "Your turn to choose. Before, you were too young, bound only by your choice to stay with me. Now you must make a final decision. Will you return with us, or will you stay here? Whatever you choose, know that I will always love you."

She drew herself to her full height and spoke formally. "It requires a formal answer. The conditions are met, and the moment of choice is come."

For a long moment, the one I considered my older sister looked between us. Then she looked to Gandalf. "Could you make them forget that this ever happened?" The Istar inclined his head as Bella walked over to her birth family. "For good or ill, I choose to stay."

Gandalf began to recite the spell that would make the others forget as Mother walked over to Bella and gently kissed her forehead, whispering farewell.

Gandalf completed the spell just as Eldarion walked through the portal, followed by Celebrian, Gilraen, Theodwyn, Isinil, Elfwine, Theodred and Alyssia. I gave a last look behind me, then took Mother's hand and walked through the portal, back home to Middle Earth.

* * *

Well, I suppose it could have been worse. 

Eldarion, Celebrian, Gilraen, Theodwyn, Isinil, the Twins, Alyssia and I had landed, quite painfully on our behinds, about ten minutes from Minas Tirith, as the Mearas runs. We were not in The Riddermark, but at least I had a landmark to go by.

Besides, at least Eldarion, Gilraen and Celebrian would be home, and maybe King Elessar and Queen Arwen would know what to do.

Mother's presence was noticeably absent, but I was fairly sure that she was somewhere in Middle Earth. Maybe she had gone to wherever father currently was.

At least, I hoped that was the case.

I rose and started dragging the others up. I wanted to get to Minas Tirith as soon as we possibly could. I wanted to change into some proper clothing and I really wanted to know what had been going on in our absence.

**_

* * *

A ruined tower in a forest, near the borders of Rohan… _**

3rd Person Point of View.

Glaring into a dark orb, a young woman let out a shriek of fury, her hood falling back to expose dark hair and a beautiful face, twisted in rage. She stalked up and down the room, her voice an incoherent babble, raised to a volume that well-bred noblewomen were not meant to reach.

Her companion, also unhooded, tried to ignore her. "Stop yelling, child. We haven't lost yet."

The woman's eyes burned as she spun to face him. "Not lost yet? What do you plan to do about it? If I told my Father of your actions…"

The white-haired older cut her off sharply. "He'll do what? You played just as large a part in this as I. Even if you are his daughter, he will not hesitate to punish you as he would any who tried to betray him."

The woman stopped mid-step. She had joined him out of a desire to eliminate her rival and to gain power. Now she was trapped, and with no way out of the net she had woven herself into.

She sighed. "What must I do?"

_

* * *

The royal quarters, Edoras… _

Eomer of the Riddermark was jolted awake by a loud thump and a stream of cursing.

Quickly throwing off the covers and drawing a dagger, he lit one of the lamps to reveal the intruder.

It turned out to be six intruders; Gandalf, a boy, a blond man and three women, two with dark hair and one with blond. Gandalf had managed to land on his feet, but the others were currently lying in a heap nearby. The brunette at the bottom of the pile pushed the others off her and stood up, giving them a glare and muttering something that was probably rude before glancing around in a frantic manner and cursing again.

Trying to hold back a curse of his own at the thought of more Mary-Sues, Eomer looked at the wizard. "Did your attempt to reach the other world succeed, or did you finally gain a following of your own?"

The brunette that had managed to stand gave him a reproving look, speaking in a hauntingly familiar voice. "Leave him alone, Eomer! Whatever he did worked, to an extent, but it seems something went wrong along the way." She directed a look at Gandalf, who seemed to shrink back slightly. "Where are the children?"

It suddenly occurred to the Istar that there were few things more dangerous than a mother protecting her young. "They have come to this world, but are in a different part of it."

The brunette gave him an all-too-familiar withering stare then turned to Eomer. "Do I not also get a greeting, love? I've been forcefully absent a lot longer than he has."

They both decided that everything else could wait.

Natasha ran to her husband's arms, burying her face in his shoulder. She could feel him, anchoring her to this place. A strong, comforting love that would protect her until the end of time.

Eomer held his wife tightly, breathing in the familiar scent of lavender and wild-flowers. She was a warm, solid presence, not the ghostly image that his mind had conjured up in the dark of night when she had been taken.

How long they stayed like that neither of them were sure, nor were they aware of how much time passed before they were interrupted by a yell of "Oi, you! Get away from her!"

The outraged voice was ignored as Eomer looked at his wife. "Why are they here? And who are the males?"

Natasha shrugged. "If I knew, they wouldn't be. You have already met my sisters, if only briefly, the boy is my half-brother that was only born ten years ago, and the man," She paused briefly,apparently trying to find the best way to put this."Well, you remember I told you that I had been in a relationship that I felt was more like a very good friendship? Eomer, meet Ryan, my ex-suitor."

The two men exchanged hostile glares, each trying to stare the other down as Natasha noticed something strange. "Eomer, why are the door and windows barricaded?"

The Lord of the Riddermark gave the door a disgusted look. "Because there is a horde of Mary-Sues camped outside the room. I've had three of them try to sneak in before I barricaded all ways in or out."

Natasha stared at him for a moment, blinked, then burst out in fits of hysterical laughter.

She recovered slightly, however, or at least long enough to un-barricade the door and push everyone else out of the room. Natasha re-bolted the door before any of the Mary-Sues could get inside, then sat on the bed. Eomer joined her, slipping an arm around her. "Do you want to hear about what has been going on now or can you wait until morning?'

Natasha smiled, looking at him with half-closed eyes as she rose to retrieve a nightgown from the closet. "I think it can wait. Probably until later than morning. We have other things to catch up on." She shivered as she pulled her dress off to change. Eomer raised an eyebrow. "Will the rest of your company not object to you undressing in front of a man they do not know?"

Natasha smirked. "Probably. Doesn't mean I'll listen. Besides, you've seen it all before." She shivered again, the night air was cold.

Eomer returned the smile, catching her hand as she picked up the nightgown. "Are you cold?"

She gave a seductive quirk of her lips. "Yes. Keep me warm?"

* * *

Outside in the corridor, the band of Mary-Sues looked at each other and tried to see who was missing from their ranks. Clearly someone had gained the target's affections. Now the only question was how to kill them off, then repeat the pattern until only one of them was left. _

* * *

A/N – Chapter Five up! They are back in Middle Earth with some unwanted additions! _

Review if you want me to write more!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed.

Nathalia.


	6. Chapter Six

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings. I also dislike repeating myself so many times. Is this really necessary?

Summary: See previous chapters.

A/N – Unless stated otherwise, most of the story from now on will be in Third Person point of view. **

* * *

Chapter Six**

An out-of-the-way room, Edoras...

Ben Ross was jolted awake by his youngest half-sister slamming the door open. He blurrily looked up to see Alice Ross pacing the room, swearing her head off. Nearby, he could see Ryan, his second half-sister Sarah and the old man they had seen just before they came to wherever 'here' was, sitting up in confusion.

Sarah stifled a yawn. "What's got you in such a fuss, Alice? And can't it wait until morning?"

Her sister whirled around, eyes blazing. "It _is_ morning! As to the other-," she broke off, spluttering incoherently, "Come see for your self!"

Curiosity overcame sleepiness, as they followed the infuriated blonde woman out of the room. None of them noticed Gandalf wince visibly and hurry after them.

He only hoped that he would not have to stop them from killing each other.

* * *

Sarah was not sure what she had been expecting, but opening a door to see her older twin lying naked in a bed, just barely covered with a sheet and fast asleep with her head resting on the chest of an equally undressed man was not it!

Closer inspection revealed that sleeping had not been the only thing happening the previous night. Natasha lay on her side with one leg thrown over the man's waist and one hand resting on his torso. The man had his arms around Natasha and didn't look to be letting go any time in the near future.

Add the fact that Sarah had never seen her sister's hair in such a mess first thing in the morning, even after a vivid nightmarewith the tossing and turning, and the grand total was an image that the younger twin did not really want to consider.

She also did not expect to have them bolt upright at the sound of the door opening and next thing she knew, there was a dagger sticking out of the woodwork next to her head!

From past experiences of barging into her sister's room without knocking, Sarah braced herself for a scowl and an order to get out. Possibly followed by a volcanic eruption for the disturbance. It looked like they had interrupted something important.

What they got was Natasha settling back down to sleep with an un-intelligible mutter and a very intimidating glare from the man, which quickly switched to the old guy Natasha had called Gandalf. Gandalf hastily ushered them out, despite their protests. Ryan, being the tallest, tried to catch a last look over the Wizard's head, seeing the man start to gently shake Natasha awake again.

Outside the closed door, (it seemed that the Mary-Sues had disappeared during the night) the four younger people turned to Gandalf, all asking at the same time, "What the hell was that about!"

The Istar gave them a strange look. "I do not see what you are all so worked up about. They have been married for almost fourteen years, after all, and they are likely to have missed each other." He caught sight of their confused/shocked expressions. "Didn't Natasha tell you?"

Ryan stared at him. "She claimed to have lost her memory! She barely remembered who she was, let alone anyone else!"

There was silence for a long moment, broken by a soft voice from the other side of the closed door. "So, Eomer, tell me what has been going on while we were gone. Are we meant to be doing anything today, or should I just pick something to wear at random?"

The man – Eomer's – voice replied, "We have nothing scheduled, but knowing our luck, something is bound to come up to demand attention. Anyway, not long after you and the children were taken, Gandalf found out how you came here in the first place. Sauron and Saruman were trying to summon these creatures by the name of Mary-Sue. They are supposed to be the epitome of perfection and can take on the form of any race…"

He launched into an explanation as Gandalf dragged them off to change into something more suitable.

_

* * *

Meanwhile..._

"I'm going to carve out their hearts with a wooden spoon!"

Eomer dodged a flying clay jar as his wife hurled it at the wall, followed by a – thankfully empty – tankard.

Her eyes blazed with fury as she looked around for something else of non-sentimental value to throw. Eomer had told her of the Mary-Sue's purpose in Middle Earth and what they had been doing. Now he feverently hoped that Natasha would not turn her anger on an unfortunate by-stander, namely him.

She didn't, and he ventured a question. "Why a spoon, dear? Would not a knife or axe be more effective?"

His wife searched her vanity for hairpins to keep a stray curl from her eyes. "Because it is _blunt_, Eomer. It'll hurt more!"

The King of Rohan decided not to pursue the subject. He offered Natasha his arm. "Ready to face the dreaded monsters?" He gave a mental sigh of relief when she smiled and accepted, anger vanishing like smoke on the wind. His wife was usually the most even-tempered woman in the world, but the gods help anyone foolish enough to provoke her fury.

She placed her hand lightly on his, eyes bright. "These Mary-Sue things, or the people who were dragged along with me?"

He shrugged. "Either, both. Why is Ryan so hostile when it comes to you and me?"

They started out the door as Natasha rolled her eyes, sighing, "I think that to an extent, he still cares for me. He doesn't know you and as far as he and everyone else in my family are concerned, you are a stranger who came out of nowhere to steal me away. I am no longer the girl that they all once knew. I have not been her for a very long time. But they do not see that. As far as they are concerned, I am still the eighteen year old girl who was thrown into a coma nearly fourteen years ago."

Eomer looked down at his shorter wife, smirking as she wrinkled her nose at him in annoyance. "They should learn eventually. I came too close to losing you before, I do not intend to repeat the experience."

Natasha rested her head against his shoulder briefly as they walked. "I'm glad. Bearing the idea that I might never see you again was even harder than coming up with a believable story to tell everyone, not to mention maintaining it."

They walked in silence the rest of the way outside, a comfortable silence that said more than words ever could.

* * *

It looked like word of Natasha's arrival had spread like wildfire. A cheer went up as they stepped outside, a ray of light breaking through the clouds.

Yalewen, Natasha's Lady-in-Waiting and best friend, formally of Gondor, moved to her place behind her Queen, whispering to her. "They cheer for the return of their queen. It gives them hope that the darkness will be gone." There was a slight pause; Natasha could almost feel the smirk that was sure to be gracing her friend's face. "Plus, the king has been absolutely unbearable in your absence. Maybe now he can be lived with."

Natasha fought back a smirk of her own at Yalewen's words. The dry wit of her Handmaiden had been greatly missed.

_

* * *

A ruined tower in the middle of a forest..._

The old man tried not to reach for his staff and exterminate the women in front of him.

Recent events had provided him with the ultimate ancestor of all headaches and the furious shouting he was forced to endure from angry young females was not helping. He fought the urge to rub his temples as yet another of the Mary-Sues began to yell.

"It's not bloody fair! The wretched women set all of our plans back by months! Now Eomer won't even look at us and _Her Majesty_ is walking around like the proverbial cat who shagged the canary! What do we do now? Not to mention that if we even try to say something negative about her, someone glares at us and practically bites our head off! Even worse, those that we had under control are starting to break free somehow! _Which is meant to be impossible!_" She paused for breath, trying to think of how to express her outrage.

A dark-haired girl spoke up from a corner. "It isn't _that_ bad. Now that we've seen them together it is kind of hard to imagine Eomer with anybody else."

She flinched back from the multiple glares aimed at her. The old man looked relieved at attention being diverted elsewhere and remained silent, hoping to keep it that way. He quickly adapted a neutral expression as Mary-Sue#8492 (a.k.a. Sasha) turned back to him.

"I'm going to Edoras." She stated flatly. "I will not let that bitch get away with this without a fight. Eomer is mine!" She turned and left the tower, followed closely by Lothiriel and several others.

* * *

The dark-haired girl quietly left the room, ignoring the rest of the Mary-Sues, who were still arguing.

She had decided a while back that what the old man and the other Mary-Sues were doing was wrong. You shouldn't make someone fall in love, even if you did have the power! She skimmed through the information booklet they had all been given, an idea forming.

Ah! There it was. _Item 64: Each Mary-Sue will be given a special power. You may choose your own or ask the Master for one._

Most of the others had chosen to be able to fly, or speak mind-to-mind. Personally, she thought that they were stupid ideas. What use would flying be? And she had seen that people with a close bond could tell what the other was thinking without words, so why waste ability?

To her mind, the ability of instantaneous travel to wherever she wished, being able to bring others with her, would be much more useful.

She re-read the instructions, then concentrated hard, willing herself to Edoras, hoping she would get there before the others.

_

* * *

The Citadel, Minas Tirith..._

If Princess Theodwyn of Ithilien heard the words 'Are we there yet?' once more, the person voicing it was going to discover just how much her mother had taught her about being a shield maiden.

She breathed a sigh of relief as they neared the royal wing of the Citadel.

Eldarion knocked on the door of his parent's room, calling to them. The door opened to reveal a furious-looking Queen Arwen, holding her sword in a white-knuckled grip.

The expression on her face changed to one of joy and relief. She dropped the sword and pulled them all inside, calling for King Elessar.

The King of Gondor entered the room. Eldarion looked relieved and immediately began questioning his father about a dream that might have been foresight and asking what had been going on while they had been away.

Elessar exchanged a glance with Arwen and began to explain about Mary-Sues and how they had been invading Middle-Earth.

Theodwyn, Eldarion and the Twins grew more worried with each sentence. How in the Void were they meant to combat this? If Arwen and Eowyn were busy fending these creatures away from their respective spouses (which explained why Arwen had been holding a sword); the rest of the Fellowship, along with most of the elves left in Middle Earth, were in hiding and Eomer had his own horde to worry about, and they had no idea where Natasha was, who would there be to try and fight?

Horrifying realization dawned in the eyes of the eldest children of Rohan, Gondor and Ithilien as they looked at each other, a single thought running through their minds.

'_Us.'_

_TBC_

* * *

A/N#2 – OK, Chapter Six is a go. Review and tell me your opinion.

Does anyone want to try and guess who the second mystery figure is? **Arianna Undomiel** got the first one, and I've been dropping hints like crazy. If you guess right you get a chapter dedicated to you, so guess and see in a review. I am trying for at least five more before the next chapter.

Hey, has anyone noticed that it is harder to write a good sequel than it is to write a good story? It is, so updates may have a while between them. Sorry.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, especially **Laer4572 **for her review on chapter three and her appearance later in this story.

Thanks again,

Nathalia.


	7. Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: Do we have to go over this again? Anything you recognize from Lord of the Rings, I do not own.

Summary: See previous chapters.

This chapter is dedicated to **hotdogfish** for the correct identification of the yet-to-be-named cloaked figure and to **Laer4572** for letting me use her as a character.

**

* * *

Chapter Seven**

3rd Person Point of View

"So, these Mary-Sue things have the power to make people fall madly in love with them, can appear in just about any form, always seem to be the very essence of perfection, and managed to send most of the Fellowship into hiding." Princess Theodwyn desperately hoped that someone would contradict her statement. They didn't.

Her mother smiled bitterly, "Not the most flattering way to put it, but yes, that is the basic outline."

Princess Theodwyn and Prince Isinil of Ithilien, Prince Eldarion, Princess Celebrian and Princess Gilraen of Gondor, Prince Elfwine, Prince Theodred, Princess Saranna and Princess Alyssia of the Riddermark were gathered in one of King Elessar's council chambers along with Eowyn and Faramir of Ithilien, the Steward, King and Queen of Gondor and the rest of the Fellowship of the Ring.

Theodwyn dropped her head on the table, narrowly missing the teapot. Saranna prudently moved it out of the way as her cousin bolted upright at the sound of a messenger bird. Said bird dropped a letter on Boromir's lap, then flew over to Eowyn. Boromir opened the message and quickly skimmed the contents, passing it to Faramir and commenting, "Good and bad news. The good news is: Natasha's back and the Mary-Sues have been driven out of Edoras. The bad news is that she is frantic about what had happened to the children and somehow her siblings and an ex-suitor got dragged along."

A faintly worried look crossed Eowyn's face. "Gandalf is still in fair health, I hope. Natasha and Eomer would not be pleased with that. Let me see that letter." She took the parchment from her husband's hands and read it out loud.

"_ 'Dear Father, Boromir and Faramir (and Eowyn, if she isn't busy dicing these Mary-Sue things), _

I have been returned but somehow the spell got messed up and the children did not remain with me. Gandalf assures me that they did land in Middle Earth, however, and I want to know where.

Eomer has explained about what had happened so I understand that you are probably being mobbed by these things and jumping at small noises. That said, I don't care if it is only looking out the window, I want you to see if you can find their current location, as there are several people ready to harm Gandalf over these events, and frankly, if I don't get a clear location of their whereabouts, I am not particularly inclined to stop them.

On the good side, however, the Mary-Sues are out of Edoras for now and from reports, are headed toward where Isenguard once was. I wonder if any of them can turn into Entwives. If they can, I wouldn't worry about them going anywhere for a while, as the Ents seem to look upon decades as mere hours, not to mention how then Ents would not let them out of their sight.

My love to everyone else,

I remain your loving sister,

Natasha.'"

She folded the letter, looking around the room. "Well, that is interesting news. I'm glad Natasha is back." Her eyes narrowed in speculation, "Maybe we should suggest that some of the Mary-Sues turn into Entwives. It would be amusing."

Saranna, Alyssia, Elfwine and Theodred had all brightened at the news. "Mother is all right?" They sighed in relief; they would not have to be alone in the fight. They would still fight; because their mother would never do their tasks for them, but if they needed help she would assist.At least they would not be alone.

_

* * *

Meanwhile, in Edoras…_

The Queen of Rohan sat in her study and lightly rubbed her temple. Natasha had left the private audience chambers when her husband was facing off with her siblings and ex-boyfriend in another argument. She was flattered by the display, but really, enough was enough. She loved them all, but would it really kill them to at least try to get along?

She had originally made a few attempts to break them up, but finally decided to leave them be and go deal with the paperwork that had built up. She had authorized her lady-in-waiting to act as her deputy when necessary, but there were several things that required her personal attention. Both Queen and lady-in waiting were interrupted by a knock at the door. Natasha indicated for Yalewen to answer it, reading a document concerning the progress of one of the charities that she officially sponsored.

It turned out to be one of the guards. "Your Highness, there is a woman by the name of Laer here to see you. Shall I take her to one of the audience chambers?"

She shook her head. "No. Send her in here. We should be fine."

The guard saluted and left. Moments later, a young woman entered. She had dark hair and blue eyes and slightly resembled Queen Arwen. Natasha quickly sorted through her memories. Ah! Laer had the look of the halfelven.

Yalewen leaned down to whisper in her Queen's ear. "Your Highness, she is one of the Mary-Sues that tried to overrun Edoras during your absence! Shall I call the guard back?"

Natasha responded with a small gesture that meant 'Not yet.' and turned her attention back to the young woman. "You wished to speak to me?"

The girl appeared nervous. "Yes. Um…TherestoftheMary-Suesarecomingtotrytogetridofyou."

The Queen blinked. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that again, slowly this time."

The girl calmed down and did so. "The rest of the Mary-Sues are not pleased at your return and have made no secret of the fact." She paused, "It was quite entertaining to watch, actually. Anyway, they are planning to come here and find some way to get rid of you, permanently." Laer hesitated, then went on. "I will be blunt. I need your protection. I refused to be a part of hurting you or King Eomer and that put me in the bad books. That I have warned you means that they will probably kill me for my betrayal. Even if they don't, Saruman…"

Natasha cut her off with an uplifted hand. "Saruman? He is mixed up in this?"

Laer nodded. "He was the one who brought us here."

Natasha abruptly rose. "Come with me. I think Eomer should hear this." She placed a gentle hand of Laer's arm. "Unless you posed a threat, I would not have turned you away. You are under my protection."

The three women left the study, making for an out-of-the-way guest room.

* * *

As they neared the room, sounds of a heated argument could be heard.

Opening the door, one could see Eomer of Rohan facing a man, a boy and two women, and all five engaged in what was obviously not far from turning into an out-and-out brawl.

Laer gave Natasha a nervous look. "I don't think any of us saw this side of Eomer when we were here. I don't think that a union between him and any of my fellow Sues would end very well."

The Queen smiled as she watched Gandalf try to break them up, not taking her eyes from the scene. "He is a great king, but can be somewhat stubborn and hot-tempered. He has strengths and flaws just like anyone else, even if he does not show them often." She looked at the younger of her companions, "That is one of the main problems any of you would have. Eomer is far more complex than many think. Most of the Mary-Sues are too independent or too docile. Eomer needs a mix of both; someone strong enough to fight at his side and be able to command when necessary but quiet enough to not protest when it is necessary that she fade into the background. A partner, someone who can stand at his side, not seek to dominate or submit to him all the time." She gave a faintly wicked smirk. "Of course, when we're alone…" She grew serious again. "Also, falling instantly in love is not his style. We were friends first, long before we even considered romance. If you wanted Eomer you should take him as he is, not cast a spell and expect an engagement ring."

She turned back to the room, clearing her throat loudly. They didn't hear her. Natasha rolled her eyes and walked up to them. "By the way, I forgot to tell you all that I am eloping with Sauron."

The argument stopped. Natasha continued. "Thank you, I was beginning to think nothing would get your attention. Now, we have a young lady here who needs to tell us something important."

Laer recounted her earlier conversation with Natasha, watching as Eomer's face grew grave.

Eomer nodded as she finished. "It does make sense. Saruman was involved the first time, so it is conceivable that he is responsible the second time around, also."

This prompted a raised eyebrow from Natasha. "First time? When did that happen? I would have thought there would at least be a record of it."

Eomer shook his head. "No. The first time, his plans went wrong. He had meant to draw one into this world to distract the fellowship, but it seems he miscalculated and brought you and Bella and the other two instead." He paused, "Gandalf has always been quite gleeful about that, by the way. Something about a curse being turned into a blessing."

Ryan broke in. "So he was responsible for Natasha returning to our world? That means she should come with us when we go back."

Natasha was obviously losing patience. "_She_ is still in the room. _She_ can hear you. _She_ can make her own decisions and _she_ thinks it is really none of your business. Furthermore, _she_ is getting sick of your constant bickering and the next time this happens _she_ is going to make sure that the one responsible for starting it will be removed to a distant location. We have other things to worry about that are more urgent than your continuous bickering."

Laer spoke up again. "I don't know if it would interest you, but it seems that Saruman wasn't working alone. He had a woman helping him. Lothi, Lothiel… I don't remember the name."

Yalewen gave her a sharp look. "Lothiriel?" Laer nodded.

Natasha let out a vivid curse, muttering to herself, "Faramir, you have an amazing gift for understatement." She raised her voice. "Alright, I'm calling a Council. Eomer, come help. Yalewen, take Laer and get her settled, then both of you come to my study; there are issues that need addressing. Gandalf, find some way to occupy these four and keep them out of my hair."

She swept out of the room, followed by the other occupants as they followed her orders.

* * *

It was a week later that Arwen, Aragorn, Eowyn, Faramir, Boromir, Denethor, Gimli, Legolas, the Hobbits and the children arrived at Edoras.

They were immediately escorted to a private chamber as a guard left to find the King and Queen of the Riddermark. The aforementioned rulers entered shortly after, followed by Laer and Yalewen, all looking as calm as could be expected, under the circumstances.

Naturally, this broke as soon as Natasha and Eomer saw their children.

Natasha instantly rushed forward, closely followed by her husband. Elfwine, Theodred, Saranna and Alyssia bolted toward their parents and the six met in the middle of the room, holding on to each other like a drowning person would cling to a piece of driftwood.

None of them were sure how long they stayed like that, but the embrace was broken when Natasha was plucked away from the group and pulled into her oldest brother's arms. Next came her sister-in-law, her other older brother, her father, Queen Arwen and the rest of the Fellowship.

Finally, they all sat down to begin the council.

"So most of the Mary-Sues that were assigned to Eomer are now out for Natasha's blood, another Mary-Sue has switched sides and is working with us, Saruman is behind this and he is being helped by our own cousin? I'm sorry, but you must admit that this sounds a bit off."

Laer sighed with exasperation. Boromir did have a point, but then again, what events in this whole mess were ever rational to begin with.

"Look, I know all this sounds very far fetched, but I am speaking the truth. I'll admit that I did want Eomer at first, but I think it is wrong to make someone become smitten with you when they are obviously in love with, not to mention married to, someone else." She frowned slightly, "Also, when Queen Natasha returned, I saw them together and it was impossible to picture him with anyone else."

Eowyn gave Laer a slight smile. "That can't have gone down well. But it matches my thinking exactly."

Laer hesitantly returned the smile, knowing that she was still on shaky ground with most of the people in the room. "It didn't. It was kind of amusing, but most of them stormed out soon after that."

Boromir spoke up again. "Which begs the question of how you got here before them."

Laer pulled a face and handed over a sheaf of papers. Boromir looked at them, then back at Laer, his face blank. Natasha took it from him, biting her lip with a choking noise and beckoning to Eowyn and Queen Arwen. Eowyn looked over her sister-in-law's shoulder and snickered as she read out loud.

" 'Guide to being a Mary-Sue:

Item 4: To entrance your target, stick out your lower lip in a pouting expression and look up at them coyly through your eyelashes.' "

Arwen continued " '_Item 26: If you are a 'docile' Mary-Sue, it is not permissible to scream any louder than a treble C when being captured and carried off by a being of evil. _

Item 27: If you are an 'independent' Mary-Sue, the slaying of an evil being must be accomplished by up to six arrows; by one spear-throw; or between five and fifty moves with a blade of your choice.'  
They actually have a guide for this?_"_

Laer nodded. " '_Item 64: Each Mary-Sue will be given a special power. You may choose your own or ask the Master for one.' _I chose instantaneous travel by wishing to be at a specific location."

Faramir joined the conversation. "Then why did you ask for my sister's protection? If you can travel from place to place in a few seconds, why would you need it?"

Natasha rolled her eyes. "Politics. No matter what Laer chose, she stood a very high chance of getting killed. Once word gets out that the Mary-Sues have been driven out of Rohan, how long do you think it will be before the rest of Middle Earth is up in arms and killing every Mary-Sue that they come across. If she did not ask for protection, what is to stop people from killing her on sight? On the other hand, by warning me, she would be considered a traitor. How long do you think Saruman or the rest of the Mary-Sues will let her live after that?"

Now it was Gimli who asked the question. "What I do not understand is what Lothiriel has to do with this. Why would she try to kill her own cousin?"

The women in the room exchanged glances. Arwen answered. "Jealousy. There is a famous quote; 'Mordor hath no fury like a woman scorned.' Faramir said that Lothiriel had always wanted Eomer for herself. To her thinking. Natasha came out of nowhere to steal him away. That would have made her furious."

Eowyn agreed. "Also, at the ball to celebrate Aragorn's coronation, Faramir said that Lothiriel could be stubborn when she got an idea in her head and was very good at holding grudges. It is slightly plausible that she would jump at the chance to get Natasha out of the way, and Saruman would need to offer her something that no one else was capable of in exchange for her help."

Eomer cut in. "Now that we have possible motives sorted out, what are we going to do about it? For the most part, armies consist of men, who will not be a very good force against creatures that can make them fall in love in an instant. Most of the women will be to busy keeping their husband's close to fight the Mary-Sues and few of those that will not have the necessary training to match them in physical combat."

Theodred spoke up. "Then we do not have much of a choice. It will be the children who fight them."

Seeing the adults open their mouths to protest, Theodwyn cut them off. "Besides, I doubt that we are in whatever record that they gained their knowledge of you from. Also, I doubt that many of them will know how to deal with children, not to mention that their supposed 'nobility and goodness' will prevent them from chopping us to bits on sight. We are the ones with the best chance of success."

Natasha sighed. "As much as I hate to admit it, they do have a point." She rose to her feet, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. "Even if it is the only way, you will not be alone. If we cannot be with you spiritually, our love and hopes will go with you."

The occupants of the chamber looked at each other, then sat in silence. A confrontation was inevitable, but it would not be trained adults who would fight.

TBC

* * *

A/N – Chapter Seven is up. Sorry about the long wait; sequels are so much harder to write than the first story. Review and tell me what you think. I really want to know.****

Review Responses

Babby Beans – Actually, according to Tolkien, Eomer married the Princess of Dol Amroth, Lothiriel. As to the rest of your review, read the prequel 'Children and Fellowships'. That should clear things up.

Laurelin Ancalimon – On your review for Ch. 6: yes and no. In 'Children and Fellowships' Faramir says that she is very good at holding grudges. She still wants Eomer, but she is also obsessed with getting rid of Natasha.

On Chapter 4: When Natasha told Eomer about Ryan for the first time, she said that they had been very close friends before they dated. Even if he didn't love her, this would have been enough to make him visit her on occasion. Yes, the kids landed in Gondor and the adults wound up in Edoras. I'll try to clarify that. Bella was more accustomed to Middle-Earth, but she had never felt like she really belonged there. Thank you for pointing these things out and I will fix them as soon as possible.

Hotdogfish - bows dramatically YES! Congratulations, this chapter has been dedicated to you.

Everyone else who reviewed – Thanks to all of you, it means so much. Keep it up.


	8. Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings.

Summary: See previous chapters.

A/N – The timeline in my Lord of the Rings trilogy states that Boromir was around forty during the Fellowship and War of the Ring. However, the House of the Stewards is related to the Line of Elendil and therefore contains a trace of the blood of Numenor. This means that those of said House would live longer and age slower than ordinary people so I have put Boromir and Faramir's appearance at about a decade or so younger than their age. In actual age, Boromir is in his Mid-Fifties and Faramir is five years younger than Boromir.

A/N#2 - This chapter has some implied naughtiness near the end. If the kind of chatter heard at a girl's night out concerning their love lives offends you, please skip over that part.

Now that we have cleared that up, I present to you…

**

* * *

Chapter Eight**

More bad news was to come, however, at dinner that night.

Sometimes Natasha really hated that her brothers, Aragorn, Merry and Pippin had such long memories. Boromir and Faramir had few secrets from each other and Boromir, Aragorn, Merry and Pippin had all met Natasha's sisters in the past. Therefore, It was to be expected that they would not react in the best of ways when they found out about their presence in the Riddermark.

They had not, which resulted in hostile glares being exchanged between Natasha's former family and adopted family.

Natasha had taken Arwen and Eowyn aside at the first possible opportunity and explained matters beforehand, in the hopes that they could help keep things under control.

When Eowyn had encountered Alice and Sarah the first time, they had gotten off on the wrong foot when Natasha's siblings had dragged her into the middle of a argument and caused the already stressed then-eighteen year old to have a nervous breakdown and run into the forest so that she could do so in private.

Eowyn had followed her, angry that Natasha's sisters would not do so, and afterwards suggested that Alice and Sarah be left behind at the gates of Isenguard. Following that, the relationship had not improved past tolerating each other's presence.

Now, after hearing the story, she was more than willing to do something of the same nature as before. Arwen and Natasha had talked her out of it, claiming that it would only cause more trouble if they were left to their own devices.

Eowyn had been disappointed, but had quickly brightened at Laer's suggestion that she stay with them at all times. Of course, Laer would be in top Mary-Sue form, perfect to the point of having people want to strangle one out of sheer annoyance.

* * *

Alice had the feeling that someone up there was laughing at and/or had it in for her.

That, or she had committed some unpardonable sin in a previous life and it was coming back to haunt her with a vengeance.

She was sitting in the Dining hall of Edoras, accompanied by her older sister, her half-brother, her other older sister's ex and a young woman that she really, really wanted to hit.

Alice couldn't exactly explain why she wanted to hit the newcomer, which only made her more annoyed. Something about the young woman just grated on her nerves. She was so… so… perfect, for lack of a better description.

Alice looked up at the head table, trying to keep her mind off the annoying woman, Laer, who seemed to enjoy the effect she was having. Her eyes fell upon her eldest sister, who sat beside the king. Alice still found it hard to believe the claims that they were married, regardless of the obvious way Natasha and King Eomer felt about each other.

This was going to take a lot of getting used to, she decided, seeing Natasha turn to the people on her other side; an old man and a younger man who looked around forty in appearance.

Perhaps these were some of the family that had adopted Natasha in this world. They both looked at her with love and affection; the old man as one would view a favourite daughter and the younger one with the faintly protective air of an older sibling for a younger one.

* * *

Ryan also watched the table, seeing Natasha lean her head slightly toward the king and murmur something. His eyed narrowed in jealousy as her responded in a similar fashion, brushing a kiss over her hand and giving her a mischievous grin, to which she retaliated with a soft smile of fond exasperation that Ryan had never seen directed at anyone except him.

It had always been Natasha's main way of showing affection. Little things, like a soft touch of her hand or a brief glance. The slight softening of her eyes and a faint smile. It would seem that this King Eomer was much the same, unless it was only for public appearances. The scene that morning provided a fair indicator that restraint did not seem to be one of the man's greater virtues.

Well on the bright side, Natasha could try out her more elaborate hairstyles and outfits without getting funny looks from everyone. Today was a long white dress that showed off a fair amount of cleavage, hair pulled back at the sides and pinned away from her face with several tiny plaits scattered through the rest of her loose hair.

* * *

Sarah watched her sister, wondering what had happened to her. She supposed it had something to do with Natasha's sense of the appropriate, but she still found it hard to link her once so assertive twin with the demure Queen who sat gracefully at the head table. Sarah had always likened Tolkien's world as something akin to the Middle Ages. Outwardly, Natasha showed what was considered properly submissive, but Sarah could not bring herself to believe that her sister would marry someone who could suppress her assertive nature like that. Perhaps the calm serenity and submissiveness was only a mask, for her twin's eyes still burned with the fire that had always been a part of her.

* * *

Laer was enjoying herself. The obvious frustration on Alice's face and her attempts to resist killing Laer were just too amusing. She returned to dreamily staring at the head table. The reformed Mary-Sue had meant what she told Boromir at their introduction; she did find it impossible to look at Eomer without imagining Natasha at his side, but she envied the obvious love that they shared. Speaking of Natasha, Laer's respect for the Queen grew by the day. It said a lot for her character that the Lady of the Riddermark had not had her killed on sight, but listened to what she had to say, accepting her as an ally and charge until the whole dilemma was resolved.

Laer had no idea how she put up with her oldest brother, though. Boromir was rude, arrogant, self-centred, stubborn, incredibly hot… whoa, whoa, whoa! Where in the nine hells had that come from? People fell for Mary-Sues; it was against standard protocol that a Mary-Sue fell for someone else! Besides, she hated Boromir and she was fairly sure that the feeling was mutual. It would never work between them, no matter how cute he was.

* * *

Sitting next to her brother, Eowyn allowed herself a small smirk of satisfaction. Natasha's sisters, half-brother and ex-boyfriend were suffering beneath Laer's perfection; Her sister-in-law (on both sides) and best friend was back where she belonged; the Mary-Sues were at least temporarily absent; there was a lovely sunset out the window and her normally far-to-serious husband was laughing, which promised interesting things later behind closed doors.

All was right with the world.

* * *

Eomer looked to the side. He knew that is was slightly irrational, but with Saruman's attempt to send Natasha back to her old world and what Laer had told them of the Mary-Sue's plans, he wanted to make sure that she was there.

Eomer had no delusions that his wife was unaware of what he was doing, but she showed no objections, and even seemed to appreciate it. That was one of the best things about her, in his opinion. Eomer freely admitted that he was not perfect, and would sometimes rush into things. Natasha had always provided a calming influence in such matters, offering a solution that did not involve ultimatums. He often wondered where she had learnt politics and diplomacy. Surely childcare had not taught her that.

When Natasha had leaned toward him to murmur that she had plans for the night and she would show a complete lack of sympathy if he woke with a hangover, he acknowledged her threat, knowing from experience that his wife would be merciless the next morning. He shot her a suggestive grin at the mention of 'plans' to which she replied with a loving smile and a look of fond exasperation.

* * *

Natasha surveyed the hall. No doubt remained in her mind; _this _was where she belonged. Perhaps that was part of the reason she had been sent back. Perhaps she had had to experience the alternate possibility to know where she belonged. Either way, it no longer mattered. She could not imagine life without her husband and children. She shivered at the idea of what would have happened if she had stayed in her old world. She would never have seen Eomer again. If her parents found out her children's true identity, there would have been hell to pay and they would have probably made her give them up. Besides, it was not like she had no family. She had a father and two brothers. She had a husband and four children. Also, in Middle-Earth she could be the part of herself that 'polite society' always dictated against. She did not have to always be strong to make her way in the world, quite the contrary, her gentle, retiring nature was considered a desirable trait. Even if her strange sense of humour and willingness to voice her opinions and stand up for herself when necessary was thought strange, her overall behaviour was thought to be properly submissive. In Middle-Earth, Natasha did not have to hide her love of things that her old world considered 'medieval'.

Yes, here was where she belonged and here she would always stay.

* * *

Later, in the Royal family's living quarters, an informal meeting was being held in order to decide what was to be done about Laer and Natasha's family and ex-beau.

"Well, if we knew what spell Saruman used to bring me into this world in the first place, perhaps we could find some way to reverse it, leaving me out of the equation, and use that to return them to their world." Natasha's contribution was a good one, but how did they pull it off?

Laer spoke up. "But if it did work, what's to say that Queen Natasha's family and Ryan will not be offered the same choice as she was. What if they are and choose to stay?" She paused, "How in the nine hells did you ever manage to make that kind of choice?"

Natasha gave a faint smile. "Actually, it was a good thing that it was offered in the first place. It was only by being presented with the option that I realized that I no longer had any place in that world. It also cemented my relationship with Eomer. I had grown up with different customs, different ways of thinking on how women should be treated. Middle-Earth's way of thinking was something very strange to me. The choice was not a test for me alone, either. Even before, Eomer valued me as an equal, though the males of this world try to influence what happens in the female's lives. When Eomer did not try to influence my choice, accepting my sovereignty over myself, I knew that I had found a marriage partner who would not seek to place me behind him or try to fit me into a pre-determined mould.

Here I could be happy, married and with children of my own. When I realized that, it became easy to decide my path."

Boromir spoke next. "Lovely as this conversation is, could we get back to the topic? If Natasha's siblings and ex do get the choice and decide to stay, what will we do about it?"

Laer glared at him, muttering something that sounded like 'insensitive git', then spoke to the room at large. "As far as I can see, we'll just have to deal with that when or if it happens. Unless anyone else has any ideas?"

The room shook their heads the negative.

Natasha rose to her feet, "Well, if that is all for now, I would like to retire."

Yalewen arose also. "Will you need me for anything else tonight, My Lady? Or may I be excused?"

Natasha inclined her head. "If you could stop by the children's rooms and make sure that they are actually in bed, then that will be all for today."

The lady-in-waiting curtsied and left, throwing a comment over her shoulder. "You may wish to keep it down tonight. Alyssia said that there were funny noises coming from your room last night."

The King and Queen of Rohan decided to ignore that, instead bidding their guests good night and the Queen limiting herself to a glare in her older brother's direction to forestall any clever remarks.

* * *

The next morning those near the royal quarters rose to the sound of arguing.

Recognizing her oldest brother's voice, Natasha sleepily lifted her head from where it had been resting in the hollow of her husband's shoulder, letting it fall back down again as the voices came closer.

The door opened to reveal Boromir and Laer, who had apparently joined forces against Alice and Sarah. All four turned to the interior of the room, suddenly noticing the occupant's state of dress.

Or undress, if you wanted to be specific.

Alice and Sarah choked; they had never gotten used to the idea that their sister was married. Not to mention certain aspects of married life, which was not normally discussed in public.

Boromir looked away; listening to one of his sister and sister-in-law's conversation had showed him that there were aspects of his sisters life that he did not want to know, even if he was acting for her own good.

Laer simply _stared_.

Natasha fumbled at her bedside table, aiming a hairbrush in their general direction, then settled back down in Eomer's arms.

Feeling very reluctant, Laer grabbed Sarah with one hand and Alice with the other and dragged them away, Boromir following.

Deciding that there was no way that they would be able to get back to sleep, the Lord and Lady of the Riddermark rose and started the day, wondering how things would turn out in light of what Natasha's sisters had walked in on.

* * *

True to trepidation, Ryan had found out and tried to kill Eomer. Alice and Sarah were refusing to look her in the eyes without blushing and Laer was periodically getting a glazed look in her eyes.

For now, Laer and Boromir were arguing again.

Natasha looked at her sister-in-law and Queen Arwen. "What is the fight about this time?"

Eowyn rolled her eyes. "Just another 'my horse is bigger than your horse' argument. Boromir said that Mary-Sues were only good for causing trouble, Laer took offence and said that they were capable of plenty of things that men couldn't do. Boromir got indignant about that and said that he could do anything that she could and now it has deteriorated into repetitive 'No, you couldn't' and 'Yes, I could'. Very annoying, really."

Arwen nodded. "Much as I hate to admit it, Laer does have a point. There are some things that only Women can do and there are some things that only Men can do."

This got both Laer and Boromir's attention. Both spoke at once, "I can do anything he/she can!"

Theodwyn placed a hand on her hip in perfect imitation of her mother and declared with all the wisdom of her twelve years, "Laer couldn't grow a beard unless she was a dwarf and Father says that no one can cook as badly as Uncle Boromir."

Faramir tried not to flinch at the glare his older brother directed at him as Saranna agreed with her cousin. "Uncle Boromir couldn't give birth or nurse an infant and I don't think he could survive ten minutes of girl talk."

Laer conceded the point. Denethor and Aragorn winced and Eomer and Faramir hid snickers as Boromir claimed that he could survive girl talk for longer than that.

Laer brightened at the prospect of seeing how long he lasted. Arwen shot her a quelling look. "No, you really couldn't last that long."

Boromir glared in defiance. "Yes, I bloody well could."

Eowyn sided with Arwen. "No, trust me, you couldn't."

Boromir looked at her in open challenge, "Try me."

Natasha sighed. "Don't say we didn't warn you. Who wants to start?"

The other males quickly exited. They had a basic idea of what girl talk usually consisted of, and did not wish to stay around. Yalewen followed, firmly taking the children with her.

Alone with his Queen, sister, sister-in-law and arch-nemesis, Boromir folded his arms. "Go ahead."

Natasha closed her eyes briefly._ Oh, you have asked for it, brother-mine…_ She opened them again as Laer started.

"I heard some of the maids saying that Lord Boromir has a butt like granite. Is that true?"

She looked at Natasha, who hid a snicker. "By adoption, I am Boromir's sister and even if I were not, I am married. Therefore, I am not really the person to be asking about this. Although for the brief time I spent with the fellowship, it certainly seemed like it. Then I was introduced to Eomer, and that became ancient history. What do you think, Eowyn?"

Eowyn grinned wickedly. "You aren't the only one who is wed, Natasha. But from my experience with Faramir, if there is any sort of family resemblance in that area, I think it is safe to assume the positive. Then again, a man's behind isn't the only thing that can become rock hard."

Arwen joined in. "You should listen to the gossip in the Citadel some time. The speculation about what he would be like in bed is absolutely outrageous."

Laer's eyes glittered. "I think I see why so many of my fellow Mary-Sues were obsessed with him. What I heard almost makes me tempted to go after him."

All through the conversation, Boromir had been alternating between vivid red and palest white. At the first mention of himself in the conversation, he looked and felt like all he wanted right then was for the floor to open up and swallow him. He fled, accompanied by delighted and/or mocking laughter from the ladies.

* * *

Several corridors away, he encountered Aragorn, Eomer and the rest of his family.

Leaning against the wall, Eomer looked at a sundial. "Less than two minutes, counting the time it took you to flee in a dignified manner. What was that you were saying about surviving girl talk?"

Boromir gave his brother-in-law a nasty look. "You knew what they were going to say, didn't you?"

Faramir shrugged. "We had a general idea. You want to listen to them talking directly before a wedding. That is even worse."

Voices came from down the hall; sounding like the very people Boromir had been escaping. The clearest was Laer's. "It might actually work."

Natasha's voice came next. "Tempting as it is, no, I think not. I will not place them in such danger."

The party of four came into view, looking worried. Eomer gave his wife a concerned look.

When she did not immediately give him a look that said he was worried over nothing, they all knew that something was really wrong.

Denethor took a single look at his daughter's face and immediately asked her what was wrong.

Natasha didn't answer. Arwen and Eowyn exchanged uncertain looks. Laer took the plunge.

"The Mary-Sues are coming. They are furious that Natasha has thwarted them. They want her out of the way, permanently."

_TBC_

* * *

_A/N – OK, Chapter Eight is finally up._

_Apologies about the delay, administration decided that my 'Being a Mary-Sue' story was actually a list, so my account was closed for a period of time. I may be redoing the fic in a format that cannot be mistaken for a list, so wait for that._

_Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing._

Nathalia.


	9. Chapter Nine

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings

Summary: See previous chapters.

**

* * *

Chapter Nine**

Elfwine, Crown Prince of the Riddermark, was troubled.

It had been late, and he, Theodred and their friend Prince Eldarion had been passing by his parents' room on the way to Elfwine and Theodred's when they had heard voices.

_

* * *

**Flashback**_

The trio stopped outside the rooms of the King and Queen, listening to the voices from inside. Theodred recognized his father's voice in a gentle tone that meant his mother was in the room.

"You are troubled, Natasha. Will you share the burden?"

There was a soft sigh. "We knew of a probability that we would not be the ones fighting this time. Now the Mary-Sues approach, intent on getting rid of me, and that probability has never seemed so terribly real. Whenever the men ride to battle, the women face the chance that their husband, brother or father will be one of those that do not return. How do I say that this time it will be not only their sons, many too young to be considered riders, but their daughters also who will be called upon to battle this new menace?"

Eomer was silent for a few moments. "Lend me your burden, my wife and queen, for it is mine to share. I have loved you since our first meeting, even if it took a while to admit it. Our children love you, I love you and our people love you. Simple as that."

Looking through the keyhole, Elfwine saw his parents sitting on one of the chairs in front of the fire. Natasha, smaller and more delicate that her husband, leaned against Eomer's broad chest, her head against his shoulder. She gave a soft smile. "And people say your eloquence only extends to speeches before you lead the Rohirrim into battle. Thank you, Eomer. It's just, I hate feeling helpless."

Eomer smirked, sounding as though he was reciting something. " _'Eyes as green as forests of pine / whilst in your hair, autumn leaves do twine.' "_

Natasha laughed. "I always liked that one. But come, my Lord, the night is young and fine. I have other ideas on how to spend out time."

Elfwine, Theodred and Eldarion winced at the implication and crept away.

**End Flashback**

* * *

Elfwine wanted to be able to help, but coming out and saying so would mean admitting that he had been eavesdropping on them. His mother was very strict concerning privacy, only condoning listening in on private conversations if it was a matter of great urgency. In Elfwine's opinion, the disappointed expression in his mother's eyes when he had done something that he knew was wrong was far worse than any punishment his father or teachers would give out.

Perhaps a discreet mention of the topic would get the subject going. If not, Elfwine's parents would probably tell him sooner or later. Still, if he was to fight, Elfwine would prefer that it be sooner.

As it turned out, Elfwine did not have to wait very long at all.

* * *

After dinner that night, the adults held a small meeting, this time with the older children included. Here they explained things, also telling them that they might have to fight in the battle. Elfwine suspected that the inclusion of the latter explanation was due to his mother.

Natasha had never believed in hiding things that directly concerned her children unless there was no other option.

The group sat in silence for a moment before Eowyn finally burst out, "I _wish_ we knew what was behind all of this! Lothiriel may have been jealous, but I cannot see her willingly jeopardizing her chances with Eomer by bringing Mary-Sues into the equation. Besides which, she knows that we would have had Gandalf try to reverse the spell and she knows that Natasha has an uncanny knack of getting out of just about any situation. It would have been far more to her advantage to have just killed her and be done with it! Also, what reason is there for our children to have been sent away also? It makes no sense!"

Theodwyn spoke hesitantly, "Perhaps she and Saruman thought that they could control the Mary-Sues and make them hand Uncle Eomer over as soon as they had him."

Eomer did not look keen on the turn that the subject had taken, but the others seemed interested. Denethor spoke slowly, "Saruman never liked the idea that anyone could be more powerful than him. Perhaps he refused to consider the possibility that Gandalf would be able to reverse his spell. Also, Saruman had never really met Natasha, so he would have had little idea of her abilities in the matter. Lothiriel was always more intent on finding ways to get Natasha out of the picture than studying her character."

Natasha gave a slightly inelegant snort. "After all that happened during my first year or so in Middle Earth? I know for a fact that there were stories flying wild about things that happened; when the women and children of Minas Tirith were attacked, for example."

Gandalf spoke up, agreeing with the Steward. "Those stories seemed to multiply faster than rabbits! Saruman always liked to toy with his victims before killing them, even as a cat plays with a mouse, and Lothiriel seemed the sort to gloat over a victory. Perhaps she wished to hurt Natasha emotionally by making her see what had happened before killing her."

Eomer nodded. "That may account for Lothiriel's motives, but what of Saruman's? He is too politically clever to let Lothiriel's reasons stand in the way of achieving his goals, so why did he not pretend to send Natasha away then kill her as soon as Lothiriel's back was turned? And why were the children brought into this?"

Saranna and Celebrian were whispering in a corner as Natasha looked at her husband. "Do you mind if we discontinue this line of the conversation? I really do find it somewhat disturbing."

Suddenly Celebrian spoke up. "We have a theory on why we were sent with Queen Natasha, if you would like to hear it?"

Faramir nodded, "Go ahead."

Celebrian went on. "Well, we think it might have been part of the bargain with the Mary-Sues. Because even if they had managed to take over Middle Earth, we would have presented a large problem."

Saranna continued. "Yes, because even if they did manage to enchant the men and get rid of

Mother and Aunt Eowyn and Queen Arwen, there would still be the matter of succession. Horrible as the idea may be, if the Mary-Sues did succeed and marry you and produce children," (She paused at the collective shudder, then continued) "we are still the products of your first marriage, and therefore first in line."

Celebrian took up the train of thought again. "No woman wants to see her children come second to another's, but they are smart enough to know that you would never consent to us being disowned or declared illegitimate. They would need us out of the way."

Laer nodded. "The girls do have a point. I certainly would not put it past any of them."

Boromir added his input, choosing to ignore how many of the room's other occupants closed their eyes or sighed in exasperation. He gave Laer a mocking look. "Speaking from experience are we? How do any of us know you aren't casting spells of your own?"

Laer sneered and glared at him, mimicking Boromir's tone. "Subject to hormones, are we? Besides, I was an Eomer Mary-Sue, and I find it impossible to think of Eomer without seeing Natasha at his side. Please explain why I would have any interest in a rude, arrogant, self-centred, stubborn git like you!"

Boromir's eyes flashed and he opened his mouth to form a scathing retort when Faramir spoke to the rest of the room, "Are you sure we can't just lock them in a room to either fight it out or until they admit the obvious?"

Whatever Boromir was about to say was forgotten as Natasha answered her brother. "I don't want blood on the carpet, it takes forever to get out. I'll take it under consideration, though, and I admit that things would be easier if they both just admitted the opposites attraction."

Laer and Boromir both stared in shock, before glaring at Natasha, who remained singularly unaffected by their fury.

Half to head off a confrontation and half to remind the adults that they were still there, Eldarion finally spoke. "Is there anything else we should know about these Mary-Sues? How can we fight them?"

Faramir made a 'no idea' gesture. "Like you would any other opponent, I suppose. I do not believe that any of you boys have started experimenting upon the differences between males and females, and the girls should have little trouble resisting the pull of their spells."

They were suddenly interrupted by a voice at the window. "Very clever for you to have figured it out and thought of a way to fight. I never would have expected that from empty-headed males. Too bad it's too late now."

Boromir glared at the hostile Mary-Sues that had appeared. "I suppose that the next thing you say will be about how women are so superior at everything?"

A second Mary-Sue spoke up. "No. I never really liked that sort of person. They keep getting up on boxes and proclaiming that women are more intelligent than men. It's true, but it should be kept quiet or it ruins the whole racket."

A third Mary-Sue joined in. "Yes. The gods created women because they wanted to do better than men."

A fourth snapped at them. "Enough talking! We came here for a reason." She glared at Laer, "We'll deal with you at a later time, traitor."

Laer paled slightly; she knew what her fellows were capable of. The renegade looked up just in time to see the gathered Mary-Sues charge Natasha.

(Should I end it here?)

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Nah.

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The rest of the room instantly retaliated.

Eomer slammed into his wife, knocking them both to the floor and shielding her with his body. The other adults grabbed for weapons as the younger generation tore into the pack of Mary-Sues, wreaking havoc.

The first Mary-Sue managed to get a hit on Elfwine, causing a long cut down the side of his face. Seeing this, Natasha rolled to her feet with a snarl, appearing scarily akin to an enraged tigress. The first Mary-Sue, Brittany, charged her, ignoring all else. Natasha twisted aside at the last second, grasping the hand that held the dirk and twisting hard. Brittany's wrist shattered as Natasha grabbed the discarded blade and threw herself into the fray. She ended up back to back with Laer, who had decided that if her former sisters-in-arms were going to kill her, she wanted to go down fighting. Even so, she couldn't resist a remark. "Where did you pick up a look like that? I've seen mothers defend their children before, but none of them matched that expression!"

Natasha quite literally 'disarmed' her opponent as she replied. "Have you ever seen Eomer leading a charge into battle? I've seen any number of orcs start running before the riders are within twenty meters of them merely because of Eomer's face and war-cry."

Laer snickered as she watched Natasha throw her dirk at a Mary-Sue sneaking up behind Eowyn, then impale another on their own sword, relieving the Mary-Sue of her weapon and launching herself into a group that was threatening Isinil, who quickly joined up with Elfwine and Eldarion.

Laer decided that this was a side of the Queen that she could have gone quite happily without seeing. She looked around and saw Denethor under threat, with several small battles between them. Everyone else seemed to be faring all right, and a number of guards had just entered the scene. Only problem was, how did she get to the aged steward?

Laer gave herself a mental whack upside the head. She couldn't believe that she had forgotten her special talent! She teleported to Denethor's side then took them both out of harm's way. Looking back to their former position, she saw the added bonus that several of the weapons that had been launched at them had hit other Mary-Sues instead, either killing them or making them turn on their own comrades. Better at killing each other than orcs, that lot.

Laer waded back into the melee then stopped dead as Brittany appeared in front of her, accompanied by several others who Laer identified as some of the best fighters in the Mary-Sue army. Brittany's shattered wrist hung limp at her side as she raised the dagger in her other hand. "Now you die, traitor."

Laer dodged the attack, spinning away, only to see one of her former comrades lining up a dagger to throw at Boromir. Thinking on it for a second, Laer decided that her situation couldn't get any worse, and dove at the Mary-Sue before she could let fly.

Meanwhile, one of the Mary-Sues had managed to knock Saranna away from the fight and into a wall. Seeing his sister's crumpled form, the normally reserved Theodred let out a roar of fury and redoubled his efforts. There were more than a few startled pauses that proved fatal as the ten-year-old that everyone had been assured was less of a threat than the six-year-old princesses of Gondor and Rohan began to show himself as close to his mother in fighting skills; inexperienced, but deadly.

Perhaps it would be a good idea to stay away from the younger children as well. If this whirlwind of destruction was thought by Saruman to be the least dangerous of the children, perhaps the whole 'take over Middle-Earth' idea was not such a good plan after all.

Scarcely aware of the area of the room he was fighting towards, Boromir cut his way to where Laer and one of the Mary-Sues were wrestling over a dagger. Perhaps he needed to revise his opinion of Laer once all this was over, as she was not showing many of the characteristics typical of the Mary-Sue. Aside from the exceptional beauty, that is. Startled at his own line of thought, Boromir pushed such thoughts to the side and concentrated on the battle.

Theodwyn had joined her mother and was fighting at her side. Despite the situation, Eowyn could not help but feel proud of how well her daughter had learned what Eowyn had taught her of being a shield-maiden. Eowyn and Natasha had insisted that all of their children at least know how to defend themselves. Eomer and Faramir had protested, of course, but had eventually agreed. Sleeping on the couch and being fed on boiled cabbage for a few weeks usually convinced people.

Elfwine, Isinil and Eldarion had formed a threesome to fight off the Mary-Sues. It was proving quite effective against their targets. All three had snickered at Natasha's explanation to Laer's question about how she modelled her expression on Eomer's in battle. Still, they had to admit that the queen of Rohan had a point; Eomer did look rather terrifying.

Gandalf decided that he was getting old. During the war of the Ring he had had little trouble fending off any number of orcs, but these Mary-Sues were proving a lot harder. Perhaps it was because the power of Narya, the ring of Fire, had leant him strength back then. Either way, it didn't change the fact that he was quickly starting to tire. The Mary-Sues seemed to notice this, and pressed their advantage. Using magic exhausted him nowadays, but it didn't seem like he had a lot of choice. A brilliant flash of light and a loud bang like a cannon blinded everyone for a minute, and when the smoke cleared, a large number of the Mary-Sues were dead.

The small band of Mary-Sues was quickly defeated after that, and the survivors taken away for questioning. That detail attended to, the original group looked around to assess injuries.

Arwen and Celebrian had disappeared out of the door at Aragorn's command, taking Gilraen and Alyssia with them, so it was likely that they were safe. A few guards were dispatched to look for them. Saranna had only been temporarily knocked out and was on her feet again, though still a bit unsteady. Aside from that, it seemed that no one had been seriously hurt.

Until they looked for Laer, anyway.

The dagger that Laer had intercepted before it was thrown had instead found it's mark in her side, and she lay still and pale on the floor.

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A/N – Find out the results in the next chapter, which will be up as soon as I get enough reviews. I have noticed that I only got four for the last chapter. Sorry, **Laer4572,** I'm going to have to keep you in suspense too. Review and I'll update.

A/N#2 – Another of my stories, 'A Reason For Everything', based on the chronicles of Narnia, has just been finished. Could I get some opinions? I promise that it is an original concept.

A/N#3 – Sorry if I offended any of the boys out there. The quotes from the Mary-Sues are from a cute book that I picked up on my vacation in Tasmania. It's called '_Thoughts of Women: A little book of women's wisdom'_ and contains quotes such as:

"It is said that a pretty face is a passport. But it's not, it's a visa and it runs out fast." – Julie Burchill

"I'm furious at the women's Liberationists. They keep getting up on soapboxes and proclaiming that women are brighter than men. It's true, but it should be kept very quiet or it ruins the whole racket." – Anita Loos

"God made men, then said 'I can do better than that' and made women" – Adela Rogers St John

"If men can run the world, why can't they stop wearing neckties? How intelligent is it to start the day by tying a little noose around your neck?" – Linda Ellerbee

"Whatever women do, they must do it twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult." – Charlotte Whitton

"Even the most respectable woman has a complete set of clothes in her wardrobe ready for a possible abduction." – Sacha Guitry (My personal favourite; my little sister is always borrowing things without asking. Then it takes a month for me to get it back.)


	10. Chapter Ten

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings. Do we really need to keep doing this over and over?

Summary: See previous chapters.

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Chapter Ten **

The dagger that Laer had intercepted had instead found it's mark in her side, and she lay still and pale on the floor.

Natasha let out a loud and extremely vulgar curse as she ran to Laer's side. She ignored the shocked looks from the rest of the room's occupants and started ordering people around with curt commands.

"Boromir, go find a healer. Eomer, go find Arwen and the other children. Everyone else, either help get rid of the bodies, or find somewhere else to be. Somewhere out of the way."

Everyone obeyed. Eomer may have been King of the Riddermark, but in the Hall, Natasha was ruler. Mary-Sues were cleared away as the healer arrived at a run, dodging around the remaining bodies to examine the renegade.

Natasha quickly explained what had happened, with others interjecting at various points. "Obviously, we were attacked by Mary-Sues. Somewhere along the line, I'm not sure when, Laer was hit. I'm afraid that's all I can tell you."

The healer nodded and set to work as Boromir drew his sister away. To the surprise of many, Boromir actually looked concerned as he questioned Natasha. "Do you think Laer will survive? Will there be any lasting damage?"

Natasha gave him a strange look. "How in the Void should I know? Ask the healer, not me. Besides, since when did you care about what happened to her?" she paused a moment. "Along with which, when did you two start addressing each other on a first name basis? Or any name basis, for that matter?"

Boromir looked slightly uncomfortable. "Certain recent events have prompted me to revise some of my opinions. Laer is obviously not like her fellows and it seems like she is a decent person."

Natasha gave a slightly inelegant 'humph'. "Once she decides that someone is worth being nice to, that is. And it's about time. I was starting to consider just whacking you both over the head with a club. Now go ask the healer about Laer's condition."

Boromir started to head over when his sister called him back. Her eyes were like the storm-tossed sea as she gave him a serious look. "Remember that Laer is under my protection. Hurt her in any way and I will beat you to death with a shovel."

Boromir inclined his head, and left to find the healer.

* * *

She was in a state of peaceful oblivion, just floating in nothingness. 

She would not mind staying here for a good while longer, were it not for those pesky voices that had slowly started to get louder. Hmm. Some of them seemed familiar, but they were not clear enough to make out or identify.

Curse the siren call of curiosity. She rose up through the darkness, swimming toward the sound of people talking.

Laer woke in the Healers Ward, and immediately wished that she had stayed unconscious.

Love of Eru, she had the ultimate ancestor of all headaches, a throbbing pain in her side, and Boromir was sitting next to her.

Not that she was not perfectly happy to stare at him while he thought she was still out, but after the most recent fiasco with the Mary-Sues Laer was probably the last person Boromir would wish to talk to, except for a yelling match.

Why did she have to be a Mary-Sue? Maybe if she wasn't, she might have stood a chance with the oldest child of Lord Denethor. As it was, she knew it would never work, even if he didn't hate her.

After all, she was half-elven, and he was mortal. He was a captain of Gondor, Laer was a nobody, with no family or connections to speak on her behalf.

With these thoughts, Laer let out a barely audible sigh. However, it was enough to draw Boromir's attention to the now awake Mary-Sue. Laer was surprised when he broke into a full fledged smile as he called for a healer, who checked her over then left them alone. Laer was also surprised that Boromir was still in the room now that she had awoken. She had expected that someone had ordered Boromir to stand watch and inform them when she woke up, not that he would stay by her side.

Then again, 'surprise' did not come close to expressing Laer's shock when Boromir suddenly threw his arms around her and pulled her into an embrace. She stiffened for a moment, then returned his hold, savoring what would probably be a once-only thing.

Of course, the perfect moment just had to be interrupted by someone clearing their throat.

Laer and Boromir both turned to glare at the doorway, and those occupying it.

Natasha stood with an arm around her husband's waist, both looking very amused. Denethor looked faintly surprised, while Faramir's expression was one of wicked glee. Eowyn looked smug as Arwen tossed her a coin, obviously someone had been taking bets on them.

This made Laer suddenly feel very self-conscious, and all to aware of what her current position with Boromir would look like. The look on Boromir's face seemed to mirror her own thoughts.

The uncomfortable silence was finally broken by Natasha. "Alright, brother-mine, out. Go get some rest; you haven't left the room for almost two days, and I don't want you collapsing on us. Faramir, go with him and make sure he doesn't double back and climb in through a window. I'll stay with Laer for a bit, I want to talk to her anyway."

Boromir's protests were ignored as his brother dragged him out of the room and the others went their various ways. Natasha sat down in the recently vacated chair, her amused smile growing. "So, you and Boromir seem to be on better terms. Nothing inappropriate, I hope."

Laer's eyes still held a far away glint. "I think so. That we are on better terms, I mean. Problem is, I don't know the exact meaning of what is happening between us now." Laer seemed very young as she looked at the queen. "How do you know if you are in love?"

Natasha blinked, but gave no other sign of surprise. "Could you clarify that just a bit? In love how, exactly? The love of a parent for their child? The love between siblings or family? The love between friends? Or romantic love, between two people who wish to spend their lives together?"

Laer kept her gaze focused on her hands as she replied. "I mean, how do you know if you actually love someone? How do you separate the feeling from lust or just a passing fantasy? What do you feel to tell you if it is really love?"

Natasha's eyes took on a rarely-seen softness. "It depends on the individual. I've heard people say that love makes your heart race and your head spin. I've heard others say that you just cannot get the person out of your head. Perhaps it is a combanation. Personally, I don't know exactly when my feelings for Eomer evolved from friendship into love.  
At the start, All I knew of him was that he was Eowyn's older brother and a marshal of the Riddermark and that my heart sped up when he was near. All Eomer knew of me was that I was his little sister's friend and that I came from far away. Later, he told me that the first thing that had intrigued him was that after the Battle of Helm's Deep, I was more interested in organizing things and keeping children from underfoot than I was of swarming around the riders who showed up with Gandalf.  
I don't know what attracted me first, after Eowyn introduced us. From our first meeting I always felt safe and protected around him, even more so than with Boromir's 'protective big brother' attitude. It is hard to describe, but for the first time since I came to Middle-Earth, I felt like I truly belonged. Sort of a 'Home is where the heart is' feeling.  
When I first felt attracted to him, I was not sure of my feelings, and I was afraid to try and sort them out, for fear that I would be drawn back to the world of my birth, so I tried not to form any attachments. Didn't work, obviously. We kept seeking out each other's company, even without consciously realizing it. After the Battle of Minas Tirith, it became obvious that I was not going back any time in the near future. There isn't a whole lot to do in the houses of Healing, so I had time to try and look at what I really felt.  
Of course, even if I knew how I felt, I didn't know Eomer's opinion on the matter, and I valued his friendship too much to just blurt it out.

The way I found out Eomer's thoughts was actually quite amusing. A rohirrim child had made a chance remark that sent rumors flying through Middle-Earth faster than you could blink. I was in Gondor at the time and had no idea about it, until Eomer sent a message explaining. I was touched that he worried so much about my reputation when he was probably going through hell, and that he also valued whatever our relationship was enough to write in the hopes that I didn't get the wrong impression."

Natasha trailed off momentarily, prompting Laer, who was listening like a child with a favorite story, to ask, "What was the right impression? What happened from there?"

The Lady of the Riddermark laughed. "One question at a time! It turned out that Eomer felt much the same as I did: Strong emotions, but unsure of where we stood.  
"There are some things that you just know, instinctively, without being told or having a rational explanation. Sometimes you look at a person, and you know. I know that I love my husband because I cannot imagine being without him, or even looking at someone else in that way. Because I feel that wherever we are, as long as we are together, that is home. So many other things, little things, differences and similarities that keep you reaching out for each other."

Laer did not raise her eyes. "But that's just the problem! Boromir and I are nothing alike, and there is such a great age difference between us! It's nothing like what anyone else seems to have!"

Natasha held up a hand, stalling her mid-tirrade. "I never said that your relationship with my brother had to be the same as mine with Eomer. Given the choice, Faramir is more of a scholar than a fighter, yet Eowyn, who wanted nothing more than to win renown in battle and whose greatest fear was to settle down as a wife, loves him for it.  
There is almost nine years between Eomer and I, but I have no regrets. Besides, that's the good thing about being a Mary-Sue; you get to choose and change your age and appearance.  
You and Boromir are both very proud people, but don't let that stop you."

They were interrupted by a knock at the door and Boromir's voice. Natasha stood up. "I need to go now, but Boromir will be here if you need anything. Try to get along, because if there is any blood spilled, you will be the ones trying to get it out of the floor."

With that final threat, she left, leaving Boromir and Laer alone.

Boromir sat down next to Laer's bed. Neither of them said anything, but the silence was a comfortable one, as they both pondered these new developments.

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A/N - Chapter Ten is finally up! Sorry it took so long, but my old computer crashed and I am still trying to figure out how to work my new one. I know it's short, but that seemed like a good place to stop. 

By The Way, is anyone interested in a second alternate ending? I have one that is dying to be written, but I don't know if I should put it up in case it wrecks the first one.

Tell me what you think in a review.

Thanks, Nathalia.


	11. Chapter Eleven

_Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings._

_Summary: See previous chapters._

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Chapter Eleven

Eventually, Laer broke the silence. "Do you think she meant that? The threat about making us scrub blood off the floor if we started fighting? When we fight I seem to find that neither of us is in any condition to move afterwards, let alone do housework."

Boromir smirked. "Metaphorically or literally? Yes, she would make us clean up. My sister has an annoying tendency to carry through on her threats, if they are physically possible. I've had my nose broken at least once on that account."

Laer blinked. "She broke your nose? What in Arda did you do?"

Boromir rolled his eyes skywards. "Why is that always everyone's response?" he asked the room in general. "The first time was because I knew Faramir was in danger and I was refusing to listen when she told me that anything I did was less than likely to help and had great potential for getting me killed for no reason.

Most of the other times were during Natasha and Eomer's courtship. Faramir and I concentrated our efforts on showing up at inopportune moments. Inopportune for them, anyway. Natasha didn't appreciate protective big brothers appearing out of nowhere every time she and Eomer had a moment to themselves."

Laer grinned, "Isn't that always the case? I'm surprised she didn't do anything more permanent, if you interrupted as many times as you did."

Boromir returned the smirk. "No, she left the death threats up to Eomer. My Brother-in-law can be slightly intimidating when he wishes to be."

Suddenly, Boromir turned serious. "You probably saved my life with your actions when we were fighting the other Mary-Sues. I don't think I had the chance to thank you before, so allow me to do so now. Thank you."

Laer suddenly found it hard to look at him. "You're welcome. If you don't mind me asking, where do we go from here? I mean, do we go back to picking fights with each other at every opportunity, or do we follow a different path? If you don't mind my saying so, I prefer the second option, personally."

Boromir looked at her, quietly checking that she was sincere. "I prefer the second as well, but that begs the question of what path we intend to follow. Natasha seems to think we were just getting all of the fighting out of the way before falling in love, and most of the others don't seem to care what happens, as long as we stop biting each other's heads off."

Laer laughed, but then turned shy. "I don't mind following the Queen's suggestion, that is, if you don't object."

Boromir smiled faintly, "I have no complaints. It's likely to cause an uproar, however."

Laer blinked. "Why would it cause an uproar? Would people be upset about marrying a Mary-Sue, even if I have severed all ties with them, or some other reason?"

Boromir pulled a face. "It's more the principle of the thing. Both of my siblings married someone of a different nation, much to a lot of people's disappointment. I suppose it was subconsciously expected that I would settle down with a nice Gondorian lady. Not to mention that I've been fending off unattached females ever since the wedding prank on Natasha backfired."

Laer's eyebrow shot upward. "Fending off the unattached because a prank backfired? Sounds like there is an interesting story behind that. Can you tell me?"

Again, Boromir scowled. "It was both mine and Faramir's idea actually. There is usually at least on practical joke on the happy newly wedded couple during the wedding night, usually carried out while they are busy in their rooms. My sister had threatened us into promising that we wouldn't do anything, but she forgot to add that we were not to send anyone to do it for us, either.

One of Natasha's charges, Bella, I don't think you've met, had been brought into Middle-Earth with her, so we asked Bella to go and pour a jug of oil on the floor outside for us. The theoretical reasoning was that if we didn't physically do anything, we really couldn't be blamed if a four-year-old decided to be helpful and do it for us.  
Unfortunately, we forgot to give Bella the exact directions of where we wanted her to pour the oil. Worse, she only realized that after she was already there, so she went to ask the nearest adult for help. The nearest adults happened to be Natasha and Eomer, neither of whom were particularly thrilled at the interruption." Boromir smirked faintly, "I think that may have had something to do with the fact that they were not very dressed at the time."

Laer burst into a fit of giggling, then managed to control herself as Boromir continued. "Anyway, Bella told them why she was there, and you can guess what happened next. Natasha decided to turn the prank around on us, probably to avoid the political upheaval that would have resulted if Eomer had physically harmed Faramir and I, regardless of how much we may have deserved it.  
She told Bella to come back to the feast and dump the oil jug on Faramir's head, and somehow got a message to her attendants that asked them to spread the rumour that I was interested in joining the universal plunge toward matrimony, and I've had every unattached female after me since."

Laer had both hands clapped over her mouth in a vain attempt to stifle laughter, causing her to keel over onto her side from her sitting position. Boromir gave her an ironic look.  
"Glad someone finds it amusing. You should have been around for the other disaster of the night. Someone managed to light one of Gandalf's fireworks, but forgot to stick it in the ground, panicked, and dumped it into a half-empty barrel. The barrel exploded, covered half the courtyard in dwarven ale, and brought Eomer running down to see who was attacking us. He wasn't wearing very much at the time, so the incident was resolved fairly quickly. His choice of language was somewhat less than polite when he went back to his rooms, something about having plans for the evening, none of which included running around the city all night."

That proved to be too much for Laer. She collapsed in a heap, laughing hysterically.

* * *

They were interrupted by the door opening again. It turned out to be Natasha, Eowyn, Faramir and Eomer. Natasha smiled at the sight. "All right, I think visiting hours are over for now. Boromir, Father wants to speak with you about something. Laer, try to hold still, you are going to pull your stitches otherwise. Try to control yourself while I get the healer."

Faramir and Eomer dragged Boromir away. Waiting for the healer, Eowyn, Natasha and Laer could hear some of what was being said.

Faramir's voice was identified saying "Well, you two seem to be getting along much better than you were before. What changed?"

Boromir didn't get a chance to reply as Eomer's voice joined in. "They seemed to be resolving their differences when the healer came to find us when Laer woke up. It was probably a continuation of that discussion."

Whatever Boromir had said in return was lost as the voices retreated. Laer glanced at Eowyn and Natasha. "How long do you think they will keep up with that? Should I be worried?"

Eowyn shook her head. "Not really. Natasha and I might tease you a bit if this becomes official, but we won't make it too unbearable. I wouldn't count on Boromir getting off so easily, though."

Laer still looked worried about Boromir. Natasha correctly interpreted her expression. "The other's have endured almost fourteen years of Boromir's teasing whenever something happened concerning our marriages. Let them have their fun."

Laer shot an apprehensive glance at the door. For some reason, she worried that even if the other Mary-Sues decided to lie low, the next few months would be far from a smooth ride.

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_A/N - Well, chapter eleven is up and it's my Birthday in four days. La la la la la la!_

_Review and tell me what you think._

_Thanks, Nathalia._


	12. Chapter Twelve

_Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings._

_Summary: See previous chapters.

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Chapter Twelve

Boromir, Eldest child of Steward Denethor, Heir to the House of Hurin and Captain-General of Gondor, prided himself on his ability to weather any and all situations without flinching. As long as said situation did not involve the One Ring of Sauron or his baby sister in a temper, anyway.

In this instance, however, he was giving serious consideration to cutting his losses and making a swift retreat from the immediate area.

In hindsight, perhaps taunting his King, brother and brother-in-law about married life had not been such a good idea, but they really were deriving far too much amusement from all this.

"I don't suppose I could persuade you to desist by apologizing and begging forgiveness for the last fourteen years? Laer and I are not even official yet!"

His brother-in-law, King Eomer of Rohan, seemed to be enjoying the whole situation hugely. "Consider it retribution. The time we let up before your wedding is the day I see a performance of _Balrogs on Ice._"

Aragorn gave his brother king a strange look. "What in the Void is that supposed to mean?"

Eomer shrugged. "I have no idea. Ask Natasha. I think it means something along the lines of 'when the pits of Udun freeze over'."

Boromir only gave his companions a nasty glare and decided to seek out Laer. The Mary-Sues had made themselves scarce for now, but irrationally, Boromir wanted to be sure. Besides, it was as good an excuse as any to visit her.

* * *

Originally, Laer had never been so thrilled as to have escaped the healer's ward. Her current ordeal, however, was making her yearn for the relative quiet of her bed there.

News of the suggested relationship between Laer and Boromir had spread through the Middle-Earth grapevine like wildfire, resulting in everyone from the old midwives to the youngest children questioning her. At the moment, Laer was surrounded by Eru knows how many children, including the royals of Gondor, Ithilien and Rohan, all wanting to know the details.

How did mothers put up with the endless questions? While the sundial outside her window insisted that it had been less than an hour since the questions had started, Laer was convinced that it had been much longer than that, and wondered how much longer she would manage to stay sane.

Finally, to her intense relief, an Angel of Mercy appeared. Natasha surveyed the scene with an amused expression, then sent the children off to find something else to do, sitting down next to the reformed Mary-Sue. Laer returned the amused look with one of profound relief and gratitude. "Your timing could not have been more perfect. How do you stay sane with all those questions?"

Natasha's smirk widened. "Practice. I thought you might want a break from the Spanish Inquisition? How are you doing?"

Laer shrugged. "Physically, I'm fine. If you mean with Boromir, I honestly don't know." she ran her hands through her hair, "I think we've managed to back ourselves into a corner, since neither of us seems to know what comes next. Is romance always so awkward?"

Natasha smiled. "At first, often. It smooths out as you go along, don't worry." She gave a slightly wicked smirk. "Speaking of corners, is this proverbial or literal? I'm given to understand that all sorts of interesting things happen in corners when there is no one else around."

As predicted, the response to that deliberately bland statement was a furious blush and a slightly scandalized "Natasha!" from both Laer next to her, and Boromir in the doorway.

Natasha laughed and got up. "I'll leave you two alone now. Don't do anything I wouldn't."

Laer waited until the queen was gone, then turned to Boromir. "Does that really prohibit us from doing much? Natasha is hardly your average person, and you would not believe the rumours about what she and Eomer get up to behind closed doors!"

Boromir nodded. "I'll agree to that. But then, neither are we. I was always under the impression that a courtship should be begun by the male, with flowers and such, yet all three of us seem to have taken a different approach."

Laer grinned. "Natasha being the third, I suppose. We certainly took a strange approach to it; arguments and insults are hardly thought a good beginning. But what is this about Natasha's unconventional approach?"

Boromir rolled his eyes. "Just before the armies of the west rode to Mordor, Natasha decided that since Eomer was obviously not going to initiate the courtship and since it was unlikely that any of us would survive, she would do it for him. She, Eowyn and Faramir had come to see off the armies so Natasha informed Eomer that since there was no certainty of them meeting again, she was going to do something profoundly unorthodox. Then she went and kissed him in front of everyone. Eomer certainly didn't seem to mind and the courtship started almost the instant we returned to Minas Tirith."

Laer raised an eyebrow. "Something tells me the rest of your family raised strenuous objections. I can't really envision you standing by calmly while that happened."

Boromir smirked. "You could say that. It doesn't do an army much good to see one of it's leaders trying to kill another, though, so I had to stick with teasing him for then and plot revenge for later. Father understood that Natasha had been brought up differently, though he had a long talk with her later. Faramir decided that he would need to get used to slightly more forward woman if he was to have a chance with Eowyn, not to mention that everything would go a lot smoother if the match had Eomer's consent. I stuck with placing a guard outside Natasha's room as soon as we got back."

The renegade Mary-Sue laughed, then turned serious, nervously fiddling with the bed covering. "What you said earlier, about us taking a different approach to courtship, did you mean that you would not object to us being a couple?"

Boromir matched her seriousness with his own. "I would not object. I had planned to speak of it earlier, but seem to have trouble putting such things into words."

Laer looked at him, her heart in her eyes. "Don't bother with words, then." She leaned towards him, tilting her face up, "There are other ways to express feelings that do not involve speech."

Boromir leaned down and kissed her, silently agreeing. Yes, there were ways to express oneself without speaking, and often a lot more enjoyable.

* * *

Around the corner from the room, Natasha, Arwen and Eowyn firmly restrained their respective husbands and dragged them off in the opposite direction. The reformed Mary-Sue and the eldest child of Gondor's Steward deserved some time alone.

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_A/N - So, Chapter Twelve is up. Sorry it took so long._

_I am in the process of writing a second alternate ending and a Lord of the Rings story that has nothing to do with 'Change of Worlds'._

_Go read my latest, 'Lady of Sorrows', and tell me what you think. It is probably a good idea to have some idea about various elements of the Silmarillion when reading._

_REVIEW! And thanks again,_

_Nathalia._


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings.

Summary: See previous chapters.

A/N - Someone told me that my last version of this chapter lacked detail and didn't make much sense. So, here is the version that was not written at 3 a.m.

A/N#2 - I got an e-mail complaining about how I had made Lothiriel too evil and how she was out of character. To answer that and any future complaints: I needed a cannon character that had a motive for being evil but without slaughtering the character and messing up Tolkien's work. Lothiriel is given a sentence or so in the Appendixes as having wed Eomer. That gave Revenge as a motive and I was trying to portray her as someone who had no idea what she was getting into to get what she wanted until she was way out of her depth. Sorry if you got the wrong impression, but that is just how I wrote it.

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Chapter Thirteen **

Arwen, Natasha and Eowyn kept a firm hold on their respective spouses as they moved away from Laer's room.

The sun was shining, the birds were singing and they had finally managed to hook Boromir up. As Faramir had said, this proved that he was not proverbially married to his sword.

It was times like this that one could almost forget about the threat of the Mary-Sues.

Almost. Then a messenger showed up with a letter concerning the aforementioned threat.

Mary-Sues on the march. Will be here in a week or less, depending on powers. Younger Army mobilized. Waiting for orders.

Natasha sent the messenger away to get rest and food as someone let out a vivid obscenity. She closed her eyes and took a breath as she spoke to one of the near by guards. "Send Crown Prince Elfwine to me please. I need to speak with him. Then locate my eldest brother and do the same. We will be in the King's study."

The guard saluted and left. The others left for Eomer's Study.

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Today was swinging between becoming one of the top ten best and worst days of his life. _was Boromir's main thought as he and Laer made their way to his Brother-in-Law's study. 

He had suffered through several hours of supposedly good-natured teasing from Aragorn, Faramir and Eomer. Things had soared to the heavens when he had visited Laer, only to be interrupted by an urgent summons from his sister.

Worse yet, an official summons from Natasha lately meant something to do with the Mary-Sue problem. And ever since Laer had begum competing with Natasha for placing at the top of the Mary-Sue's 'People To Kill' list, Boromir's worry on the subject had somehow managed to move up several notches. Just when he thought it couldn't go any higher, too.

Judging by the grave faces in Eomer's study, it was something to do with the anticipated Mary-Sue attack. He was right. The Worst Scenario had come to pass: Mary-Sues were on their way, and it would be the adults, but the children of Arda who would fight.

The only bright side, as far as everyone hoped, was the hope that children would be under-estimated, meaning that the Mary-Sue army would not suddenly become Middle-Earth's greatest warriors in a heart beat.

Laer and Natasha only hoped that none of the Mary-Sues had been so absurd as to become a Jedi or Force-Sensitive. They had not voiced this, not having time for explaining the questions that would follow such a comment, such as what a Jedi was in the first place.

The dimmly-lit side in the affair was that Ben, Ryan, Sarah and Alice would be going as well, to infilterate the ranks. As Eomer had said (supposedly out of his wife's hearing range) "If those four don't drive them insane, nothing will. Besides, this makes them someone else's problem."  
Natasha (unfortunatly not as far away as he had hoped) had agreed and added that: "I think that we are due for some luck as it is. Maybe the Mary-Sues will get so irritated by them that at least one will suddenly develop the power to send them back to their world."

Elfwine was understandably pale. He would be one of those leading, and his first encounter with Mary-Sues had not made him wish for a second. He pushed his anxieties away by focussing completely on what his father, uncle, and King Aragorn were saying in regards to instructions and battle plans.

One thing at a time. Just keep breathing…

* * *

Elfwine had long ago decided that he hated the sound of battle. The sound of bodies hitting the ground, the _hiss_ of arrows and the _clash_ of metal upon metal and the shouts and screams. 

Now he sat in the command tent, going through the results now that the battle had been finished. There had been minimal losses, all things considered, and the Mary-Sues had come off a lot worse than they had. It had probably helped that the younger children had been liberally doused with sugar a minute before the battle. As someone had pointed out, even the legendary stamina of the elves was unable to compare with young children on a sugar-high.

They were lucky, in a sense, he supposed. Various theories had been right, the Mary-Sues had been unprepared to fight children, and the shrieks of "Pint-sized menace!" and "Unhand me, you little fiend!" were slightly amusing, in a twisted sense.

Another helpful factor was when Eowyn and Natasha's speculation had come pass and several of the Mary-Sues had tried to become Entwives in order to recruit the help of the Ents and Hurrons. It had backfired spectacularly, the Ents being overjoyed to have 'found' them and now refusing to let them go anywhere for fear that they would be lost again. Even a few of their fellow Mary-Sues had found it funny.

Eomer and Natasha had also been right about the Mary-Sues reaction to the four from Earth. After discovering that Elfwine, Saranna and Theodred were not going to hand over the Mary-Sues'Lust-Objects in exchange for their captured not-so-beloved-as-the-Mary-Sues-might-have-hoped aunts and half-uncle, and that Eldarion and Theodwyn remained un-affected either way, they had decided that killing innocent by-standers might not endear them to their chosen targets and had sent them back. They had not offered specifics as to how and no-one had felt like asking.

The Mary-Sues had finally sealed their own Doom when one of them had been arrogant enough to have created herself as a daughter of the Valar, ignoring the fact that the Valar did not procreate in that fashion, and the Powers That Be had found out.

Manwe and Varda, the supposed parents, had _not_ been amused.

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Eldarion and Celebrian were in the healer's tent, helping see to the wounded, while Theodred was helping to find the otherwounded and collect the dead. Saranna had enlisted several others and they were taking care of the smaller, slightly less urgent, details 

Finally, the battle was over, and once the wounded had been seen to and the dead collected, they would be able to go home.

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A/N#3 - I really am very sorry for how long it took to get this up. Yes, I know it is short and I apologise for that, too. I was away in Tasmania, then I had Writer's Block on this story, and then I had accreditation at work and my Granddad died on the 24th of June, so I haven't felt much like writing. _

That said, what do people think? Good, bad, tell me in a review.

Thanks, Nathalia


	14. Chapter Fourteen

_Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings. Haven't we gone over this already?_

_Summary: See previous chapters_

_A/N: This final chapter is dedicated to my twin who never stopped nagging me about writing it, and who sadly passed away on Boxing Day 2005. Love you, Sal.

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**Chapter Fourteen**

The Fellowship and the rulers of Middle Earth had received news of how the battle had ended, and were now gathered in Natasha's study.

The war had been won, but at what cost? None of them wanted to hear the news that one of their children had been killed.

The males appeared to be remarkably calm, though a closer look would reveal the tension in their poise.

Eowyn was muttering something under her breath, which sounded strangely like counting to ten in several different languages, one after another. Laer was pacing, casting the occasional glance over to where Boromir sat, or to where Arwen and Natasha were drafting a letter to the families of those who had been killed.

Finally, after countless attempts, the letter was finished. After all, there really is no way to tell someone that their child will not be returning home.

Unfortunately, this left Natasha with little else to do except join Laer's efforts to wear a hole in the carpet.

Finally Faramir, his nerves also stretched thin, gave them both an exasperated look. "Would both of you please stop that, all the pacing is starting to drive people insane."

Laer, forgetting that her position with the Steward was still unsteady from the whole sending-people-to-another-world incident, snapped back. "_I'll_ go insane if I have to sit down with nothing to occupy my mind. Let it lie."

Eomer turned to his wife, hoping for a slightly more peaceful resolution. "Love, will you please sit down? It'll be no help to anyone if you wear yourself out. It's for your own good"

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Eomer winced at the mistake. If there was one thing his wife hated, it was being told that something was for her own good. Whether it was true or not was beside the point. It was also one of the things that she and Eowyn had in common. Sure enough, Natasha gave him a truly glacial stare, "And siding with me is in yours, love. Now…"

Whatever she was about to say was cut off as the door opened and the room's occupants were greeted with the sight of their children.

* * *

Elfwine felt a strange pang of uncertainty as he and the others approached his mother's study.

All of their families were inside, and Elfwine worried about how they would feel.

His father was Marshal of the Riddermark and one of it's greatest warriors, would he be proud of how Elfwine had commanded? Or would be frown at the number of injuries and casualties?

What about his mother, who hated war in general and still felt partially responsible for the whole fiasco? Would she be happy that the war was over, or disappointed that it had happened at all? Would she be disappointed in _him_ because he lead the battle?

What about Aunt Eowyn, whose reputation as a shield-maiden was well known? Would she laugh at some of the tactics they had used (the Ent-wives and sugar-hype, for instance) or would she be annoyed that she had not had a chance to kick their backsides eight ways from next month? (That particular quote had come from Laer, and had caused a fit of laughter from his mother as she tried to explain.)

Even Laer, who Elfwine had come to like, regardless of her Mary-Sue status. Would she be glad that the threat against both herself and Middle-Earth was gone? Or would she be too upset at the loss of her fellows?

They reached the study door in time to hear Natasha inform Eomer that siding with her in something would really be in his best interests. Wonder at what sort of hole his father was digging himself into now temporarily overrode Elfwine's worry, and he knocked at the door and pushed it open.

There was a sudden silence in the room as the adults froze, then whipped to face the children. The men looked visibly relieved and moved swiftly toward them, sweeping the children into an embrace. The ladies looked vaguely amused as they waited a turn.

Elfwine finally pulled free of his father and turned to face his mother, trepidation worming its way back as he looked into the face, the expressive eyes, that had always meant the world to him.

Natasha studied her son gravely, taking in the black eye and bruises and the haunted look on his face, then wordlessly opened her arms. Elfwine flew into her embrace, clinging to the comforting warmth as he had when he was a toddler, slowly relaxing as she held him close and soothed him, promising that it would be better in time.

…then the moment was broken as his mother gave a slight 'oomph' when his siblings flew to her for their hug and she opened one arm, drawing all of them into one embrace.

* * *

Later that day, they had finished with the public speeches and withdrawn to their quarters. Laer and Boromir were bickering again and being calmly ignored as the others simply sat and talked quietly, or watched as Natasha started to teach Saranna what she called 'Finger knitting' that seemed to involve wrapping a strand of wool around one finger in two loops, pulling the lower loop over the top and off the finger, then wrapping another loop around the finger, and repeating the process. Elfwine didn't try to understand his mother's hobby, but watched as the ball of wool bounced when Natasha pulled at the strand to unravel the ball, her hands flowing like water as the pile of knitting grew at her feet.

The quiet atmosphere was finally broken when Laer almost snarled "My 'Mary-Sue charms' as you call them, only work if I attempt to make a pass at Eomer. He is immune, obviously. Therefore, if lovelorn boys fall at my feet all the time, then it is certainly not from any encouragement by me! I've never thought of them with anything but annoyance and if you think silly boys trying to compose bad poetry is going to make me swoon into their arms, you are greatly mistaken!"

This seemed to give Boromir pause. "Then you're not in love with any of them?"

Laer glared. "I just finished explaining with a fair amount of emphasis: No, I'm not."

Boromir seemed to consider something, then nodded to himself. "Well then," he said. "I've something to say."

Laer raised her chin, giving him a defiant look.

"I can't make flowery speeches," Boromir began, "and I wouldn't even if I could. I won't cower at your feet like some of those callow idiots that follow you around. I don't write poetry or play an instrument. I don't intend to change my manners or my way of life, but if you'll have me, Laer, I'd be obliged if you'd marry me."

The following silence was so profound that Elfwine could hear the peep of a bird in the distance. Eowyn, Arwen and Natasha exchanged looks in varying degrees of incredulous shock, their thoughts running along the lines of '_He calls **that** a proposal?'_

Laer's expression didn't change. Taking a deep breath, she said, "I don't like flowery speeches, and if you ever try to make one for me, I'll just laugh at you. I despise simpering poems, I hate the squealing of most instruments and we'll see if you change your manners or not. Yes, I'll marry you."

Looking between the two of them, Natasha broke the silence by saying, "I'm not sure if I have just witnessed a challenge or a marriage proposal, but I wish both of you the best of luck."

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And so, two months later, Laer the reformed Mary-Sue wove flowers into her hair and joined her hand in marriage to Boromir of Gondor. People rejoiced at the symbol of peace, for the threat of Mary-Sue was forever removed from Middle-Earth.

Evil is never truly gone, but all took comfort in the knowledge that however much fan-girls of Earth may wish otherwise, the plague that they had once inflicted upon Arda would never fully return.

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_A/N - OK, so the part about Mary-Sues leaving Arda alone is probably just wishful thinking, but we all like happy endings._

_Sorry it took so long to get up, but my twin sister died on 26th December, 2005, and I haven't felt very motivated for a while._

_Anyway, like it, hate it, tell me in a review._

_Thanks, Nathalia._


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